


I Like You A Lot

by H3y_AssButt01



Category: Uncharted, Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Angst, Drama, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:14:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 78,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26555698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/H3y_AssButt01/pseuds/H3y_AssButt01
Summary: In a sequel to Sunny Daze, Sam and Sunny explore each other once again on the job. The duo faces a series of issues as they assist Chloe Frazer in a remarkable adventure. And Sam acknowledges something he’s been trying to ignore for quite some time.(Lost Legacy storyline)Let me know what you think :3
Relationships: Chloe Frazer x Nadine Ross, Chloe Frazer x Sam Drake, Sam Drake / Reader, Sam Drake x OC - Relationship, Sam Drake x Reader, Sam Drake/ OC, Samuel Drake x OC, Samuel Drake x Reader - Relationship, Samuel Drake/ OC, Samuel Drake/Reader
Comments: 20
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**_Sam’s POV_ **

I sat at the desk playing with the knick knack between my fingers. A small sunflower pressed into enamel to make a simple charm for a black beaded bracelet. A sweet la vieja from the city made and sold them on the street. The minute I saw the sunflower, I stopped for one. Victor wouldn’t stop teasing me about it but I didn’t care. It made me think of her. And I missed her. I ran my fingers over the dark wooden beads as I let my pen ghost over the Lima postcard, a cigarette dangling from my lips idly as smoke danced about the dimly lit lamp before me. ‘ _ To the biggest Sunflower in the patch… _ ’ was all I had written. I’d been sending postcards and small souvenirs to her everywhere I went without missing a beat. And for the first time in months, I didn’t know what to say. It took me two months to come up with what I thought was an original opening line. I raked my hands through my hair as I stared at the address on the card and groaned.

“Just go see her, kid.” I heard Victor say behind me. The thought had crossed my mind before. I hadn’t seen her face or heard her sultry southern voice in so long. What could I even say to her? I shook my head and leaned back into my seat.

“I can’t.” I shrugged. He brought it up more often these days and I hesitated every time. I wasn’t sure why though. I hadn’t been sleeping around as usual in months. The ones I did oblige, I ended up calling them the wrong name… I called them her name… Hookers and random women just weren’t enough for me anymore. I’ve passed up offers from several of them recently. Maybe because they just weren’t her…

“Why not?” He asked me. I turned around to watch the old man kick his feet up on the hotel coffee table and light himself a cigar. I slipped the bracelet over my wrist and tightened it as I swivelled the chair to face him. I took a quick drag and fidgeted with my fingers a moment. I stared out at the Peruvian scenery and scratched at my stubble, trying to come up with an answer. But truth be told, there wasn’t one.

“I don’t know… I really don’t.” I answered with a sigh. I stared at a random spot on the carpet and bit my lip. 

“So then you have nothin’ to lose. Just go.” he said. He had a point. We had just wrapped up a job and most likely we wouldn’t be doing anything for a while…

“And what are you gonna do? You not gonna be lonely without me, are ya?” I joked. Victor let out a hearty laugh and took a puff of his cigar.

“Trust me, Sam. I’ll be  _ plenty _ fine without you, your crappy jokes, and shitty beer.” he said. I smiled as I picked at the cuticles on my fingers; a habit I’ve been trying to break right next to smoking but… baby steps.

“I just…. I feel like I have no excuse for not being around…” I sighed.

“That’s because you don’t.” Victor told me. I needed one. Anything.

“Do ya know anyone with a job? Anybody at all?” I asked urgently.

“We just got finished breaking our goddamn necks for this Lima treasure and you’re ready to go out  _ again? _ ” He asked me. I mean sure we got a little banged up. He hurt his knee, I got a black eye and a couple cuts but other than that, for a pair of old heads, we were pretty alright.

“Yeah! I mean… yeah… Yes.” I settled on the idea. A job with Sunny was exactly what I needed.

“I uh… got an email from a friend. Chloe Frazer. She’s lookin’ for some people for a small job in India-”

“ _ India?! _ Huh…. I’ve always wanted to go to India…” I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees. I thought about it real hard. Sunny and I, kicking ass and taking treasure…. The smile on her face as a big gun weighed heavy in her hands. My heart raced just thinking about it. I smiled a little and clapped my hands together.

“I could arrange a meeting. She can catch you two up on-”

“No just me. I wanna bring the job to Sunny… it’ll give us something to talk about…”

“Yeah. And maybe she won’t hit you for being absent.” He chuckled, pulling out his phone and dialing the woman he mentioned.

“Yeah… Tell her I’ll take it. Whatever she needs me to do. In the meantime…” I ran my hands along my jeans and picked up my laptop. “Guess I’m goin’ to San Francisco...” I mumbled as I started to book a flight. 

Just as I had purchased my flight, Victor was handing me the phone. ‘ _ That was quick… _ ’

“Hello?” I spoke, awaiting an answer.

“Wow… Another Drake.” Her voice was deep and thick with an Australian accent; a very sexy tone to it if you asked me. “Dear Sullivan told me you might be looking for a job?”

“Possibly. You hiring?” I asked like some punk kid.

“ I still need a bit of time to get things together but  _ absolutely _ .” She said. I stood to grab a beer from the hotel mini fridge and walked outside to our balcony. I cradled the cellphone between my ear and shoulder as I popped the top off of my beer using the pastel painted wooden rail.

“What’s the gig?” I asked, curiously sipping my drink.

“Are you familiar with Indian history at all?” She seemed to purr from the other end. I could only  _ imagine _ what this woman looked like.

“Not much but I get by. Nothin’ I can’t learn out of a good book.” I smirked, staring off at the ocean.

“A bookworm.  _ How cute. _ I hope you have some time on your hands. This could take a while.” I could almost hear her grinning on the other end.

“I’m all ears.” I said, leaning on the railing...

  
  
  


The moment next week began, I woke up with an excited feeling in my chest. I was packing a bag to go to California. The flight over I was fine but there was food and booze there so I was pretty relaxed. For the moment. It was when I climbed into the cab that I began to actually feel something. My heart was beating against my chest like a hammer. The closer the taxi got to my destination the thicker the air around me seemed to get. My hands were sweating and my knee bounced anxiously as I played with the zipper on my duffle bag. I watched the street as we passed motels, schools, and gas stations before we turned into the complex and my posture straightened a little more. As the car came to a halt at the address, my nerves took over and a slight smile pulled at my lips. I paid my fare, grabbing my bag and hanging it off my fingers as I stood in front of what I guessed was her building. I pulled the folded postcard I was gonna send from the chest pocket of my printed green Hawaiian shirt beneath my denim jacket and stared at the address, making sure this was the right place until I was confident that it was. I shook my head before entering the building.

I checked each letter on the door in the place until I found 21C. I couldn’t believe I was standing in front of her door and each rap on the painted over wood reminded me of how nervous I really was. I chewed on my lip as I waited for an answer but I didn’t get one. ‘ _ Am I at the right place?’  _ I thought as I shuffled my feet. I knocked again but my knocks still went unanswered. “Heh…” I huffed, scratching a patch of stubble beneath my lip with my thumbnail. Suddenly, I heard the creak of a wooden door but when I looked at the door before me, it had still been closed. I looked behind me for the source of the sound and was met with an older woman, her silver hair tied up in a knot at the top of her head as she peeked from behind her door.

“Can I help you?” She asked, suspicious of my presence. I looked at her in surprise as I gestured to the door in front of me.

“Hi, ma’am! I was looking for Sunny? I was told she lived here.”

“Sunflower Spurrs?” She asked, narrowing her eyes at me. I never knew her full name. And I thought I was being clever when I wrote my postcard. It was cute. Her parents must’ve been a couple of hippies...

“Yes, ma’am? I’m a friend of hers.” I smiled as kindly, trying to be as polite as possible so I wouldn’t spook her. She stared at me a moment trying to gauge my intentions and eventually gave off a sigh.

“Well you just missed her, darlin’. You can find her at the club up the road- Headlights.” She said as she pointed in a general direction. My brows shot up as I nodded and she shook her head. “It’s a shame she works there as sweet as that girl is. Whip smart, too!” I grinned as she spoke highly of her and I nodded in agreement.

“That she is. Thank you for your help, ma’am. Sorry if I disturbed you. You have a good night!” I smiled, picking up my bag again and starting down the stairs to walk to Headlights. 

The walk wasn’t very far. Only two or three blocks up the road. I’ve walked further than that. The club was dismal in appearance from the outside. The broken neon sign outside and the dirt parking lot told me all I needed to know. A couple of cars with a few men standing about, sharing a smoke, sipping their beer. I adjusted the bag over my shoulder as I entered the club. It was dark and hazy. Neon lights wrapped around the dimly lit room and a stage took over the middle of the space. Three slim silver poles are placed on either end and the middle of the stage. I didn’t think anything of it until a beautiful blonde with sparkling bikini bottoms and stars covering her nipples walked by me rather closely with a tray of beers for a table of men. She winked at me when her chest gently brushed mine as she went by and I grinned nervously. Looking around, there were four more scantily dressed waitresses walking about as well. And like the idiot I was, it finally hit me. ‘ _ I’m in a goddamn strip club… _ ’ I thought, blinking a few times. It made sense to me now why Victor would get so upset with her when she talked about her job. Old school way of thinking but she was like a daughter to him so I could understand.

Remembering that she told me she was a bartender, I made my way over to the mirrored wall lined with several shelves of cheap liquor and sat on a bar stool, dropping my bag right next to me. I looked behind the bar and not one of the two working was her. I was beginning to get a little frustrated now. ‘ _ Where the hell is she? _ ’ I thought looking around as a short pink haired woman with a small red heart tattooed on her cheekbone and a piercing in the bridge of her nose stood before me. She was rather thin and yet she was still blessed with amazing curves. She donned a very pretty face and a mischievous smirk played on her full lips as she leaned on the counter, very obviously trying to display her well endowed chest from her tight black tee shirt. I tapped my fingers on the dark wooden bar, trying my best to avoid looking at her cleavage. I’d fucked up enough while I was away and I didn’t need to add another.

“Can I get you anything, hun?” She asked me sweetly. I actually was feeling like a nervous wreck so I pulled out my wallet and a couple bills.

“Um… do ya have Heineken?” I asked her. I just wanted a beer.

“Comin’ right up, handsome.” She smirked, taking my money and sauntering down to the beer tap. I smirked as I pulled out my fresh pack of cigarettes. As I lit one, she came back with a pint glass and a dirty crystal ashtray, placing them both before me with a blinding smile.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” I winked and she left me alone with my drink.

After a cigarette or two, the lights in the room darkened and the stage lit up. A stripper was getting ready to perform. ‘ _ Oh geez _ …’ I thought, taking a big gulp of my pint. Then a man’s voice came through the speakers around the room. “And next to the stage, everyone give it up for  _ Black… Dahlia! _ ” He said. I shut my eyes tight and clenched my fist around the drink. I  _ definitely  _ didn’t need to be looking at strippers right now. A slow hip hop song began to play and the vibe was there. The way the men around me were whistling and roaring was enough to peak my curiosity. Their best girl must be on. Every strip club has one. The girl everyone pays to come see because she’s simply everything you’ve ever wanted to see in a woman. Supposedly... ‘ _ Mmm… Maybe just a peek….. _ ’ I thought with a naughty smirk, pursing my lips. I swiveled around in my seat and when the stage was in my sights, I was not at all prepared for the view that graced the stage.

A small curvaceous woman with long wavy black hair falling over her shoulder stepped out from behind the blue velvet curtain. My heart stopped a moment and my breathing became ragged. I hummed in appreciation before taking a drag of my cigarette as she performed. This girl changed the air in the room the moment she appeared, something velvety and seductive. She was dressed in an oversized black blazer that engulfed her tiny body with nothing but a black lacy set beneath it; complete with a garter and suspenders, sheer stockings squeezing at the thick parts of her thighs. Her black stilettos that strapped around her ankles clicked along the glittering stage, sashaying as lithe as a cat. She leaned against a wall and swung her hair over her shoulder, her hips swiveling to the beat of the damn near ethereal music. As her chest popped up and down to the beat I noticed something familiar. Peeking beneath her barely covered chest was an elaborate under breast tattoo. My posture straightened and I strained my eyes to get a better look. She was taking her time, rolling her body against the pole. She knew what she was doing. It was as if only she knew the best parts of her. I felt a slight twinge in my pants as she bent over with a gentle arch in her back, her slender manicured hands running down the silver bar slowly. I cleared my throat nervously and took a sip of beer before I continued watching the show.

She shook her hips as she turned her back to the audience and shed herself of her jacket, displaying a round, thick ass and another familiar tattoo; a line of Japanese characters scrolling down her spine. I almost fell out of my seat a little bit. ‘ _ No… it couldn’t be…. _ ’ I thought as I stood and approached the stage rather slowly. She ran her hands down her caramel body carefully, did some fancy spin and knelt before the audience. Her body rolled to the music a while before crawling on the floor and turning over to lay down with an arch of her back. And just like that, men started to roar, just throwing their money at her. It was impressive really. My suspicions didn’t go away though. No matter how sexy the show was. Something about her drew me to rise from my seat and walk to the edge of the stage as she stood and sauntered about. Something was familiar about the way she pranced about. The swing in her hips, the roll of her shoulders. She flipped her hair and jumped the pole, wrapping her muscular legs around the silver, spinning her way around it as her body fell to the bottom. And there she was. As she laid on her back before me, the hair pushed off of her made up face and I was met with those innocent big baby browns again. My lips parted as I took a deep breath in surprise.

She looked back at me with an equal amount of surprise and shot right up. We seemed to look at each other like we were the only ones in the room. Sunny Spurrs… I opened my mouth to say something but embarrassment flashed over her face and she backed away. She looked at the DJ and he cut the music before she awkwardly ran off the stage. I was left standing there and understanding a lot as the men booed around me. Her performance was cut short. I walked back to my place at the bar and leaned on it, taking a massive gulp of beer. I wanted a drag of my cigarette but when I looked at it, it had already burnt down to the filter. I sighed. ‘ _ Found her… _ ’ 


	2. Chapter 2

**_Sam’s POV_ **

I waited for her to come out, anxiously. Knowing I was here, she had to. There had to have been something between us that made sure of that. It wasn’t long before she came around the back of the stage in her regular clothes. A black crop top and baggy jeans with some red and white flowy shawl. Her face was wiped clean of her stage makeup and her curls were pushed back off of her perfect face by a colorful headscarf. She looked tired. Too tired. Faint dark circles were bagging beneath her eyes a little like she hadn’t been getting enough sleep. Her heeled boots clicked along the dirty floor as she approached me, staring nowhere in particular just to avoid my gaze, her small fingers choking the life out of the straps on her bag. I stood up rather quickly to practically smother her in my arms. She shivered for a moment and melted into me. She didn’t exactly hug me right away but I didn’t care. A smile crept onto my lips as I nuzzled my face into her scented hair. I took a moment to luxuriate in the fact that she was in my arms again. I felt her sigh and her shoulders dropped under the weight of my arms; as if she’d finally laid her head on a comforting pillow. As if she’d finally gotten a moment to herself despite standing in the middle of a trashy strip joint. After a few moments, she slipped her strong thin arms beneath my denim jacket and around my waist, holding me tightly.

“Sam…” she mumbled into my chest. I rested my chin on the top of her head and grinned as if Ozzy Osbourne himself just called my name. Truthfully, I’d wanted to hear my name on her lips for months. To just feel her small, warm body against mine.

“Hi, Sunny.” I murmured, rocking her in my arms. I kissed the top of her head as I pulled away and she clutched at her chest. She still couldn’t look me in the eyes but she reached into her bag and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter from her pocket.

“What are you doin’ here? You coulda called...” She asked me, flipping the zippo to light it. Not exactly the question I expected but I hadn’t been around. So I just took it and shrugged.

“I wanted to see you! Also… I’ve got a job for you.” I told her, lighting a cigarette myself. Mine burned out during her rather  _ captivating _ show. Her eyes seemed to light up as she fought off a smile. She chewed on her thumb nail and dug her heel into the ground, failing to keep a straight face.

“Really? Already?” She grinned. I took a drag of my cigarette and nodded with a smile. “Dangerous?” She asked.

“ _ Perhaps _ .” I smirked with a slight shrug. Her striking eyes never left mine as she nodded and hummed in response.

“Where?” She asked. I hesitated on the details. Her reaction to being dropped in the middle of a war zone might not have been suitable for the public eye. But when did she ever really care about that?

“Let’s talk about that in private…” I said, picking up my duffle bag and placing a hand on her shoulder to lead her out.

“What- you got a hotel somewhere?” She asked me. I laughed nervously.

“.... No I uh…. actually thought I might stay with you.” I told her sheepishly, my eyes full of hope that she would take me in. Her brows shot up as she laughed into her cigarette.

“ _ Did you now? _ ” She chuckled. “Haven’t written to me in two months and you’re already tryna get in my pants, Drake?” She asked, inching close to me and pinching the collar of my shirt. I missed her. So much. I felt my ears heat up.

“I mean... that wasn’t the only reason—” 

“There’s another reason?” The way she raised her brows at me made me nervous all of a sudden. I had forgotten how she made me feel with just a single look. She always managed to have me talking sweet to her.

“I mean I thought—” Suddenly, we were interrupted when a large hand took hold of Sunny’s elbow. She yelped in surprise as she was yanked away from me. I stared incredulously at the man who had the  _ audacity  _ to pull a stunt like that in front of me.

“Jet!” She exclaimed. Now this guy, Jet, he wasn’t big by any means. A little swole in the chest and arms but I could almost  _ guarantee _ it was just for show. He probably stood at 5’10, dark hair that began to turn gray just around his temples, Italian guy; probably jacked up on some kind of drug. His bark seemed to be worse than his bite but I could handle that.

“Sunny, you’re doin’ OT. Lynda isn’t comin’ in tonight.” He demanded this. He didn’t even look her in the face. Just glanced around the bar. Sunny’s brows furrowed and she groaned tiredly.

“No. _ No! Absolutely not _ \- I did OT  _ last night _ . You haven’t even paid me from last week and I’m tired—”

“I’m not payin’ you when you rip n’ run in and out of the club every couple months like you own it, Sunny!” He snapped at her.

“Jet, you  _ know _ I haven’t paid my rent yet—” “That’s not my problem! Your little vacation six months ago cost me a lotta money!”

I cocked my head, ready to come to her defense but I stayed put; because when it came to words, Sunny was going to win that fight. Period.

“Hire better girls, then! That’s not my fault they’re not makin’ you any money.” She retorted, tiredly.

“Well at least they show up to work every night.” He argued and she simply chuckled, looking around the bar as she took a drag of her cigarette.

“Evidently not, Jet.” She shook her head. Some of the waitresses were looking at the scene brewing before me. Nobody tried to deescalate the situation at all. Clearly this wasn’t their first fight.

“ _ Who do you think you are, Sunny? _ ” He yelled, trying to escalate the situation that she obviously wasn’t bothered with.

“I’m not doin’ this tonight. My shift’s over—” She said, turning on her heel to walk towards me again but he grabbed her roughly by the arm again.

“Get your ass back here when I’m talkin’ to you, Spurrs!” He growled. That’s when I drew the line. I didn’t like the way he was talking to her to begin with but then he wanted to put hands on her? Not with me around, you don’t. I drove my way in between the two, towering over the man that dared lay hands on her. 

“Okay, buddy!” I said, loudly, pushing him off of her with a light shove. Maybe not so light? He was pushed back a couple feet. ‘ _ My bad. _ ’ I thought with a nonchalant shrug. “She said her shift’s over and she’s goin’ home, alright?”

“Sam—” She tried to intervene but we’d already begun puffing our chests.

“Outta the way, man! This ain’t got nothin’ to do with you.” He said, boldly trying to go around me to get to her. I put a hand on his chest and pushed him back again. Nothing big on my part but he looked extremely annoyed. I shook my head with a flex of my lip as he tried once more. He was seriously testing my patience and it was running thinner and thinner by the second. 

“Alright, big guy, bring it!” He snapped, raising his fists at me. He was practically begging for me to beat his ass. But I wouldn’t put hands on him. Not until he made the first move. I stared him down, puffing my chest out just barely. He charged at me but I wasn’t worried. I just chuckled in amusement. All it took was one swift uppercut to his jaw and he crashed into the table behind him. The bar patrons and employees all stopped to watch.

“ _ SAM!” _ Sunny exclaimed, rushing around me to help pick him up but he pushed her away, falling against me. I caught her in my arms as the man called Jet stood to regain his dignity. “Jet, I—”

“ _ Don’t even bother coming in tomorrow! _ ” He said, spitting blood on the floor and wiping his nose with his sleeve. “YOU’RE FIRED! Get outta here! Take your inbred boyfriend with you!” He snapped, turning away, stumbling to the back of the bar. My jaw dropped and my eyes immediately went to Sunny.

She didn’t have a fit. She didn’t throw anything… She just stood there in shock. ‘ _ Oh shit… that wasn’t supposed to happen…. _ ’ I felt horrible. I just cost her her job. She turned on her heel with a dead expression. She tapped her foot and took her final drag of her first cigarette. Tossing it aside without a care, she exhaled the smoke before strutting by me and out of the bar slowly. She stopped at the door and turned to look at me. “You comin’?” She asked me. I opened my mouth to say something but words didn’t come out. I just picked up my duffle bag and followed behind her instead. She stayed quiet on the way across the parking lot as she pulled her shawl close to shield herself from the chilly September wind. Dust kicked up at her heels with each step and we approached her car; One so classic, I could hardly believe it was really hers. A plum colored ‘72 Chevelle. I let out a long whistle, slapping the hood of her car.

“This yours?” I asked in surprise, admiring how well kept this car was. The finish was practically glittering, it was so shiny and new looking.

“Yup.” She answered monotonously. She opened up her car and tossed her bag in the backseat roughly. Then she sat inside and slid to open the door for me as I started to fiddle with the tag on my duffle bag. She was upset. And that was fair. I slid inside to sit on the clean white interior and closed the door. I was afraid to look at her. But when I finally did, she was resting her forehead on the steering wheel, taking a few deep breaths.

“You okay?” I asked carefully.

“Not really. I just wanna go home and get trashed…” she sighed.

“I’m sorry, Sunny… I didn’t know he was gonna do that.”

“You  _ didn’t know _ that my boss would  _ fire me _ after you  _ punched him? _ ” She said making me feel quite dumb. I hung my head.

“I’m sorry. I dunno what else I can say….” I sighed, slouching in the passenger seat. She threw her head back with an exasperated huff.

“You thought you were protecting me. And I appreciated it…” she said in a defeated tone. A smile crept along my lips as a silence passed over us. She gave me a gentle smile but I could see she still had a lot to think about; and here I was, about to add to it. With that, she started the car and drove us to her place.

We stood at her apartment as she fiddled with her keys to find the one that belonged to the front door and unlocked it. A thick scent of mahogany, lemon incense, and cigarettes smacked me in the face as I stepped by the threshold. I grinned taking in her small apartment. The room was dim and lit by Christmas lights lining the ceiling and wrapped around the curtained door frames to her balcony. It was a rather open floor plan. The walls were white with colorful, elaborately printed pieces of cloth pinned up and the floors were a light smoky hardwood with a fuzzy white rug. A kitchen was placed in the back of the room; stove/ oven, refrigerator, a small counter and a cart next to it with bottles of liquor and glasses set up. In the middle of the room, a dark floral printed couch with a matching recliner piece sat around a black coffee table, right in front of her massive TV tucked inside a large wooden entertainment system. It was stuffed with movies and games. Off to the side we’re boxes filled with electronics and things that she used whenever she went on a job. The ceiling was only another couple inches away from touching the top of my head. It was a cozy spot and very much like Sunny. 

I watched her throw her bag on the couch and sigh with a loud groan as I closed the door behind me. She went straight to her “mini bar” and began fixing drinks. “I’ve only got vodka. I can mix you something if you want.” She told me tiredly as I dropped my bag by the recliner and sat down on the couch.

“I’m not picky.” I replied, sinking into the comfy chair and she just nodded. She’d been quiet the whole ride over. And I knew why…

“Y’know…. you didn’t need that job anyway. Your talents were bein’ wasted there.” I told her honestly. She chuckled almost hysterically for a moment, taking a shot of vodka for herself before bringing my drink over in a short glass. I took it from her and sipped the orange juice mix immediately to calm my nerves.

“Well I can’t really get a job anywhere else. Not with my record.” She said before coming back with her own drink. I watched her tired body shuffle to the couch and plop down onto it next to me, sitting her beverage on the coaster. She curled her legs up on the couch to pull off her boots and wiggled her toes in relief as they fell with a heavy thud. Letting out a long sigh, she began to rub her feet. I took another sip and sat my drink down before grabbing her ridiculously tiny feet and massaging them myself. She leaned into the couch with a frown and threw her head back. The poor girl was stressed out of her mind. She let out a moan as my thumbs pressed into the arches of her feet and she took a sip from her drink. I looked at her, thinking of what to say….

“So Black Dahlia, huh?” I started. She chuckled and covered her face with a tiny hand. “ _ Very sexy.  _ Super original.” I smiled at her and she sniffled a bit.

“Okay y’know what? I am so fascinated by that murder story and I have no clue why.”

“So you got your stage name  _ not even from the flower _ , but from the murder…” I chuckled and Sunny burst into laughter. The sound of it made my heart do backflips and brought a smile to my face. “God bless you, Sunny Spurrs.” I commented, staring at her in awe. She smirked as she just made herself comfortable and we continued talking and drinking for the night.

By the time we reached vodka glass number seven, we were both pretty blitzed. Yet and still we talked about so much. Mostly just catching up; How we’d been since Libertalia, all my adventures, where I picked up all the small gifts I got her… In all honesty, I was just happy to be hearing her voice; seeing her gorgeous face, touching her. As I drunkenly rambled on, I sort of danced around the topic of the job I had gotten for us. But she wasn’t stupid. Nothing got by her. She finally said, “Alright… tell me about this job.” Propping her elbow up on the couch and resting her head against her hand, she blinked at me awaiting my answer. I let my thumb rub against her smooth ankles as I thought of how to best explain what we were doing.

“Um… so… we’re goin’ to India.”

“ _ India?! _ ” She exclaimed, her posture straightening. “Where in?”

“Um…. Western Ghats….” I mumbled and her face fell.

“ _ The Western Ghats?! _ ” She looked at me as if I was crazy. “Have you  _ not _ been looking at the news??” She spat. 

“ _ Of course _ I’ve been watchin’ the news, Sunny!”

“So then  _ why are we walkin’ out into the middle of a goddamn war zone?! _ ” She was very snippy tonight.

“ _ Technically  _ we’d be just outside of the war zone! You’ll be safe, I’ll be safe. We’ll all be safe.... mostly—”

“And just  _ who _ in the hell is dumb enough to take up a job in the Western Ghats right now?” I asked.

“Her name is Chloe Frazer.” I said, sheepishly.

“ _ CHLOE?! _ No…. no that’s exactly what she’d do. Yeah….” she nodded as if things were making sense. 

“Oh you know her?” I asked, my heart was racing. It would be very awkward for me if—

“Yeah! I used to have a tiny crush on her back in the day.” She grinned. 

‘ _ Of course you know her…. _ ’ I thought as my stomach flipped and I carefully sipped my glass.

“She try to sleep with you yet?” She suddenly asked me and I choked on my drink in surprise. She just threw her head back and laughed. “ _ I’m kidding, Sam!  _ Jesus.” 

‘ _ I can’t tell her. It would hurt her too much… _ ’ I thought, chewing on my lip nervously. 

“And what is she doin’ exactly?” She asked, playing with her curls.

“Does the Tusk of Ganesh mean anything to ya?” I asked, clearing my throat.

“Not personally, no. I’ve been working my way across the map with Asian artifacts. Starting with Japan. Haven’t quite gotten to India yet.” She said rather proudly, running her painted fingernails through her hair. I tilted my head and raised my eyebrows.

“Color me impressed.” I smiled. “Well lemme get you up to speed.” I began with the story of the tusk just as Chloe had told me. I explained to her what her role in the job would be. Standard getaway driver, combat assistance, the works. She flexed her lip and stared into her glass a moment. I could tell she  _ really _ wanted to take it but something was holding her back from doing so. That’s when her phone vibrated. She picked it up and answered whatever text she had received, humming as she pondered her answer. When she put her phone down she sighed loudly as she fixed her gaze on the unlit ceiling light above us.

“Can I think about it?” She asked suddenly. I was a tad shocked. She seemed like the type to just jump on any job handed to her though I guess I was wrong. But her question-answer was only a “maybe.”

“Of course, sweetheart.” I smiled, placing a hand on her knee as her legs crossed in my lap.

“It’s just that um…” she trailed off into her own thoughts and suddenly began to tear up. I frowned with concern as I watched the thinking process display across her face. A single fat tear, rolled down her cheek.

“ _ Hey… _ c’mere, Sunny…” I called to her gently and she sat her drink down and just curled into my body, her face buried in my chest as I let my arms wrap around her. “Talk to me, sweetheart.” I said trying my best to look into her sad eyes.

“How am I supposed to pay for this shit? Any of it. I just lost my job… Now I  _ absolutely  _ can’t pay rent since they just raised it last week and I’m late on payin’ that as it is… I can’t work on my car like I want to... I have some devices that needed repairin’ after Libertalia and I just…. It’s too much. I need somethin’ solid here….” she vented. I completely understood her. I would hate for her to have to leave and come home to an eviction notice. Then my brain did a thing…

“Well… I have two solutions… one is  _ possibly  _ a little crazy and the other not so much but… it could help.” I said nervously. 

“Yeah… I’m open to hearing suggestions or whatever…” she mumbled as she wiped her face with her sleeve.

“For the trip to India… we call Sully.”

“I can’t pay him right now—”

“Sunny, the man thinks of you like his own kid! If he’s giving a free ride to anybody, it’d be you. Just call him.” I said calmly. She sniffled a little and nodded. “That was the not so crazy solution, okay? So now for the possibly crazy.” I joked and she giggled a bit. That was good. She needed it. I had accumulated a bit of money and had yet to find a place of my own. Maybe… 

“As for your living situation… what if we just became roommates?” I asked her boldly. Her eyes widened as her head shot up to look at me. It was a good idea in my opinion. Not just the fact that I’d be living with the most beautiful woman alive, but I’d finally have my own space. I saw nothing but benefits for the both of us. In more ways than one. 

“Sam—”

“Just hear me out! ‘Kay, we could get a two bedroom, rent would be split in half so you’d have more left over funds for your…  _ curricular _ activities… I’m sure I’d be gone more than you anyway so the whole place would pretty much be yours.” I told her, defending my idea. “And if there’s ever a job, you’d be the first to know about it. Pick and choose as you will.”

She stared at me in thought and nodded a little. She shrugged. Even she couldn’t deny that it was a pretty good idea.

“I… just need to think about it.” She said to me with a sigh. I ran my fingers through her hair and placed a hand on her cheek.

“I know, doll. Take as much time as you need.” I told her, pinching her chubby cheek. She grinned and looked into her empty glass before groaning.

“Okaaay…. well it’s ridiculously late. We should get some sleep. And I need a shower. I’ll get you some towels and stuff…” she said as she lifted her legs off of me. In her attempt to stand, she wobbled a bit, tripping over her boots as she headed to the closet in her hallway and all I could do was laugh. As she returned and handed me a towel and washcloth, I kicked off my shoes and pulled a cigarette.

“You go ahead and shower first. I’m gonna smoke for a bit.” I told her and she wrapped her arms around herself asking me if I was sure. But I was fine. She rocked her weight back and forth a bit before turning away to go to her room.

She showered before me then came out to tell me the only shower was in her room. After a cigarette or three, I took my things and went to shower myself. Coming out of the steaming bathroom, I noticed Sunny curled up in the bed under several blankets. I chuckled a bit and she opened an eye to look at me with a grin as I leaned into the doorway with my arms folded over my chest. “The heat doesn’t work right now so I buried myself in blankets…” she giggled drunkenly.

“If you’re cold, I’ve been told I’m like a radiator.” I chuckled nervously, pushing my hair off of my forehead. Two small arms immediately shot out of the blankets and began making grabby hands. I chuckled and placed my clothes on the floor in a random corner before climbing in the bed behind her. I pulled the blanket over us both and wrapped her shivering frame in my arms. She rested her head on my arm, pressing her forehead into my chest as I pulled her close with a comfortable sigh. I didn’t try anything. Partly because I was a little too drunk but mostly because I just wanted to hold her. I missed having her in my arms like this. We were quiet for a moment before she broke the silence.

“I missed you, Sam…” she said with a slight yawn. I smiled to myself and kissed her forehead.

“I missed you, too…” I mumbled into her hair. Next thing I knew, she was snoring away and it wasn’t long before I passed out right behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: SMUT 😎

**_Sam’s POV_ **

  
  


I woke up feeling good. Kind of groggy but good overall. Snoring loudly in my arms was this tiny woman who I hadn’t seen in months. She was still fast asleep. As I took a few moments to wake myself up, I found myself admiring her as she snoozed. Her hair had grown a lot since I saw her last. Into a shaggy, curly bob. It was cute on her but I guaranteed it was just because she was too tired to cut it since Libertalia. All her freckles were still gracing her precious cheeks but she was paler than I remembered. As if she hadn’t seen any sun in a while. Her forehead wrinkled and her brows furrowed in her sleep. Like she’d been thinking too much right before she drifted off. I wanted to relax her so I pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead. Just like that the tension eased and she wasn’t frowning anymore. She stirred in her sleep as I pushed her curls off her face. She nuzzled her face against my chest and moaned slightly before turning around in my arms with her back to me. 

Hearing her moan struck something in me that I had absolutely no control over. A boner came on. Lost in my sleepy, hungover haze, I inched closer to her. I wanted to initiate something last night but the timing just wasn’t right. But this morning was a brand new day and there was no better time to touch her than before starting the craziness of her day. I let my fingers ghost down her neck, back, and shoulder as I pressed my hips against her round ass, grinding into her gently. She wiggled a little bit against me and I pulled her hair back, pressing slow and warm kisses up her neck. I could hear her gasping while my free hand roamed her body, trailing across her abdomen and hips. I kissed over her ear and she let out another small moan. Liking the way she sounded, I sat myself up on my elbow to continue kissing and nibbling her ear as my hand slipped between her legs, touching her through her shorts. She inhaled sharply, her hips rocking against my fingers gently as I stroked her in small circles. Her hips bucked a moment and her ass backed up into me. I growled a little as I pressed deep kisses in the crook of her neck and she exhaled with a sweet whispery laugh. I gave a raspy amused chuckle at her reaction and began pushing down her shorts. I snaked my fingers between her legs again to feel the wetness in her folds on my rough fingers and moaned against her skin, kissing over her shoulder blade. 

Heat began to build between us as my fingers dove in and out of her. She whimpered as I teased her dripping cunt, her chest heaving. The tension was building between us up until I couldn’t do it anymore. I wanted to be inside her. I pushed down my sweatpants, taking the boxers with it, and my cock sprung out, smacking against her ass. I groaned as I guided myself to her honey pot and slowly eased myself into her. She let out a loud shivering and needy moan, throwing her head back, and I gave her a moment to get used to the feel of me again. My hand cupped her throat as I began slowly thrusting into her. I panted in her ear as I fucked her gently. I could feel the vibrations from her moans in my palm.

I laughed at her hazy lust as I gripped tighter onto her waist and picked up the pace, pinching her nipples through her thin navy tank top. I fucked her right out of her sleep. The more vocal she became, the more awake she was and the more she reacted. She was loud and whiny, calling my name with so much need as she grabbed onto my wrists. A weak sigh left my lips as I felt an orgasm coming on. In the heat of the moment, I turned us over so that she was on her stomach, her face buried in her pillow. I snapped my hips into hers, fucking her deeper into the mattress with every squeak and whine that spilled past her lips. I felt her walls tighten around my cock and she milked me dry until I felt my soul practically leave my body. I fell limp over her and she groaned under my weight.

“Get off me, you heavy little shit!” She giggled, trying to lift me up. I smiled, eventually rolling off of her and laying next to her, just admiring her. I could honestly look at her face all day and never get tired of it. I didn’t care if she thought otherwise because it just wasn’t true. She was indeed the most beautiful woman around. I pulled her close as our foreheads touched and she grinned at me. “Good mornin’, Sam…”

“Mornin’...” I whispered to her.

“You hungry?” She asked me and I just nodded. “Mmkay. You gotta let me get up then.” She chuckled trying to pry my arms from around her but I just buried my face in her chest in protest. “ _ Sam _ …” she sang and I reluctantly let her go. I watched her walk around, cleaning herself up and I figured maybe I should do the same. She grabbed a silky navy kimono with pink and white birds embroidered on it with exquisite detail and wrapped it around her shapely body, tying it up. After cleaning myself up, I pulled on my sweatpants again and followed her to the kitchen. 

I sat at the island counter as she turned on some morning tunes and began to fix coffee and lit herself a cigarette. She had cinnamon rolls that she’d yet to make so she just plopped them on a tray and pre-heated the oven. She looked so perfect, just walking around the way she did. I couldn’t keep my hands off of her as she passed me. I’d been feeling very frisky since I woke up. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her so that she was standing between my legs, looking up at me. My hands travelled up her back as I kissed her deeply. My hands ran over her ass and I just couldn’t help but to squeeze it. I hopped off and traded places with her.

She giggled as I lifted her up and sat her on the counter before me, untying her kimono and kissing along her collarbone as she tossed her cigarette in the ashtray behind her. She didn’t try to stop me in the least. In fact, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was enjoying it more than me; which was  _ impossible _ at this point. Her legs wrapped around my waist and her fingers clawed through my hair as I ravaged her with needy, long overdue kisses. Though we just had sex not even ten minutes ago, she had me ready to go again and I was feeling especially spicy for some reason. And I was more than willing to let her have every part of me. I let my thumbs scoop under the hem of her pale pink thong as my hands groped at her hips. I smiled at the sound of her sensually playful giggles filling the air as I lowered myself, lifting up the front of her tank top to kiss over her stomach and made my way to the crooks of her hips. I kneeled before her, gripping her thighs tightly as I licked from her knee to the center and began massaging her through her panties with my mouth; a hungry growl escaped as I did. She let out a sweet breathless twitter of laughter as she hung a leg over my shoulder. Just as I hooked my finger around to pull the thin piece of clothing aside to devour her sweetness, there was a rhythmic knock at the door. She let out a frustrated sigh as I groaned in vexation. 

“You’ve  _ gotta _ be kidding me…” I growled, throwing my head back. She giggled at my distraughtness and ran her fingers through my hair to fix it, kissing my forehead. She closed up her knees slowly and pulled her silky kimono close to her magnificent body, tying it up teasingly. It was an absolute crime. I kissed her lips smoothly with a slight snarl, tugging on her bottom lip with my teeth and she pulled away smiling.

“I should get that.” she mewed against my lips, beginning to get off the counter and I grunted, shaking my head as I stood.

“ _ Fuck no you won’t! _ I wanna see who’s interrupting my very valuable recreation time.” I smirked, winking at her as I powered to the door, lighting myself a cigarette. I didn’t bother putting on a shirt. Maybe I’d scare somebody off. I hoped I would. I took a puff and opened the door only to be met with a tall, scrawny looking white guy lifting up his shirt to display an honest to god well done Norse bird tattoo on his chest among others. The excitement in his face died when his eyes met mine. I must not have been who he was expecting. I just stared at him, smoking laxly as he put his shirt down slowly to cover his bird chest (in the physical and literal sense) in embarrassment.

He stood about 6’0” even, covered in tattoos from the chest down. His eyebrows were thick and angled; painted on like he was permanently angry or something. His hair was short, dark, and spikey, his hairline receding a bit at the temples but he didn’t seem to mind. He was skinny as hell but I could tell he tried to gain a bit of muscle. His choice of clothing confused me a little though. A burgundy flower printed shirt left unbuttoned to the chest and black adidas sweatpants with a pair of combat boots. I wasn’t sure if he was going to the beach, the gym, or to war. But he wore it like it was a million dollar suit.

“You’re not Sunny.” he said in a thick british accent. I furrowed my brows with attitude as he crossed his stringy arms across his chest.

“Yeah, no shit. Who the hell are you?” I asked, leaning into the doorway, slightly flexing and doing my best to intimidate him. Although, it seemed I didn’t really need to try too hard. I felt Sunny’s small hand at the base of my back and she peeked around me with an awkward grin.

“Erik! What are you doin’ here?” she asked as she quickly fixed her hair. His olive green eyes never left mine as he answered her in a casual tone, despite my being there.

“I uh… came to grab ya for brekkie… But then Hercules Mulligan here practically told me to piss off but in so many words.” he said with a quick witted tongue. I contorted my face in surprise as he sold me out rather quickly. Sunny frowned at me and raised a sculpted brow.

“Who even is this guy?” I asked, gesturing to him with the burning cigarette between my lips. She slipped by me and wrapped her arms around his skinny waist and he draped a long arm over her shoulder.

“Sam, this is Erik Tales. My best friend.” she said as he rested a pointed scruffy chin on the top of her head in a brotherly manner. I didn’t know this guy. ‘ _ Yo, who the hell is this guy?! _ ’ I thought as I placed a hand on my hip as I looked at the pair. 

“I thought Nathan was your best friend.” I commented in confusion.

“Well yeah but when I’m not there with him…. This guy is always around.” She smiled at him with a certain pride that I had seen when she looked at my brother. Then she looked to me with a semblance of enamor and back to this guy. “Erik… this is Samuel Drake...” I puffed my chest a bit as she introduced me to him however, in all actuality, I was still confused. But he looked at me with a hint of worry. His thick, neat eyebrows shot up as he did.

“Fuck off- Samuel Drake as in Libertalia?!  _ That _ Samuel Drake?” he asked, switching his gaze constantly between the two of us. I decided to play cocky.

“The one and only.” I smirked, taking a drag of my cigarette. He just nodded and stared at me incredulously. His eyes narrowed at me for a time and I was just waiting for what he had to say.

“What the hell is wrong with you, ya bellend?! You could’ve gotten her killed!” He suddenly snapped but Sunny covered his mouth with a small hand. As they looked at each other, they seemed to hold a whole conversation with their eyes. Eventually, he threw his head back, rolling his eyes as Sunny leaned into the doorway.

“Apologies, mate. I tend to get very protective over my little Sunflower.” He said to me with a slight smirk. Sunny donned a pleased expression as she watched him attempt to say his sorrys. ‘ _ My little Sunflower?! _ ’ I thought suddenly. I hated it. The whole situation. I hated that he called her that and I hated him. I didn’t even know the guy but I already didn’t like him. And I’m sure the feeling was mutual from the way his eyes bore holes into mine. I raised a brow and straightened my posture. Sunny stood between the two of us, rolling her eyes at our silent pissing contest. 

“Both of you are  _ sooo _ fuckin’ childish.” She grumbled, pushing past me to go into the kitchen, leaving us to stare at each other primally. “I’m making cinnamon rolls and coffee. You want?” I heard her shout from the stove. Erik just shoved his hands in his pockets as he answered.

“Of course, love. When do I ever say no to cinnamon rolls?” He said, walking inside the apartment, his eyes never leaving mine. I huffed in annoyance as I closed the door. He sat at her small black dinner table and Sunny came from around the island with two mugs. One she handed to me and I thanked her with a smile, leaning on the counter. Then she handed the other to Erik to which he sent a wink her way. “So Samuel-”

“It’s just Sam.” I corrected him, sourly sipping the fresh black coffee. He smirked and forced a chuckle.

“ _ Samuel… _ What brings you to San Francisco so suddenly?” He asked rather smugly. I opened my mouth to speak; probably something a little out of pocket but suddenly Sunny arrived at the table with a mug of her own, interrupting me.

“He brought me a job.” She said simply. I looked at her in surprise.

“ _ Really  _ now? So soon? You haven’t even had a chance to fix the devices from the last one.” He said to her.

“Yeah but this job will be slightly different and I won’t necessarily need all of that.” She informed him before sipping her black coffee, sending me a wink. I grinned into my cup as she spoke.

“Where ya goin’?” He asked.

“India.” We both replied at the same time. I fought off a smile as she smirked at me. Erik’s expression faltered a bit as his gaze bounced between the two of us. He frowned.

“Also… he’s my new roommate…” she said gently. His brows shot up as he choked on his coffee a bit.

“ _ Roommate?! _ ” He exclaimed. I was as surprised as he was. “You’re rooming with the convict?”

“Aye-  _ ex _ convict.” I corrected him.

“Same difference, mate. If you did it, you did it-”

“Erik, Jesus!” Sunny exclaimed, smacking the back of his head and he let out a yelp.

“What prompted this change?” He asked, rubbing his head.

“Sunny got fired.” I said simply and his eyes widened. She shot me a look and I bit my lip. If I was a little closer, she would’ve hit me too.

“You  _ what?! _ ” He exclaimed in disbelief.

“ _ It was his fault! _ ” She said defensively. “He punched Jet in the fucking face!”

“I didn’t like the way he was talkin’ to you.” I said with a raised brow and a shrug. My actions were valid in my opinion.

“Well good on ya. Somebody had to do it.” He grumbled. Then he brought his gaze to Sunny again. “I wish you would’ve called me. You know I would let you stay with me-” 

“And you know I’d say no. I almost told him no but money is tight and I could use all the help I can get.” She told him. He wasn’t happy about our moving in together but truthfully, I didn’t care. It’s not like I was gonna stop banging her just because he didn’t like it. “You can help me move though! I’m gonna need it.”

Erik stayed for breakfast and I could absolutely confirm that I didn’t like this guy. He was way too close to Sunny for my liking and no I’m not jealous. They had their little inside jokes and he would lay his head on her shoulder or randomly hug her. He showed off his bird chest to her and she inspected it carefully, telling him the artist missed a spot and that she’d fix it later. On the plus side, having him around helped me learn a lot more about her and I loved what I was hearing. She could draw very good small tattoos. Erik’s body was covered in them. She promised to touch up the ones I had and maybe even give me a new one, which I very much looked forward to. She could do a pretty spot on Stevie Nicks impersonation, build a car from scratch, cook a full thanksgiving meal, and fix a phone back to perfection. Considering our line of work, that last one was a  _ very _ handy skill. 

When Erik left, Sunny wrapped her arms around my bare waist as I leaned on the couch. I looked over my shoulder and she gave me the most heartwarming cheeky smile. I couldn’t help but smile back at her. I turned around to embrace her and kissed the top of your head.

“He seemed nice.” I said sarcastically. She laughed out loud and shook her head.

“He had  _ quite _ a lot to say about you when I came back from Libertalia.” She said, throwing her arms around my neck, poking my nose with her finger.

“Did he now?” I made a face at her. “I think I can handle  _ Erik Tales _ .”

“He’s a soft lil’ string bean. He just talks a lotta shit.” She told me, stroking the curls at my nape.

“I gathered that. What I  _ really  _ wanna talk about though….” I sat down on the arm of the couch as she stood between my legs. “When did you decide?” I asked her.

“When I realized we were gonna get paid for finding the Tusk-”

“Not about the job. I knew you’d take it no matter what you said. I meant about the roommate situation.”

“Well I…. I mean it’s just two people- two adults…. with  _ very _ similar lifestyles…” she began as my hands began to feel her up again. She stuttered a bit and I smirked at her cuteness.

“Uh huh… and?” I teased, reaching for the belt of her kimono and untying it slowly.

“And… it’s  _ logical _ .” She tried. She really did. But I was clearly distracting her as my fingertips ghosted over her thighs.

“Logical.” I nodded, pretending I was listening.

“Mhmm and uh… work…” she mentioned as I pulled her close and lifted her shirt a little to kiss her stomach and along the hem of her panties.

“You  _ would  _ constantly have a job.  _ And... _ ” I told her between kisses. Her eyes rolled as she threw her head back.

“And?” She asked, opening her big brown eyes to look at me. I gave a mischievous grin and picked her up to toss her on the couch and cover her body with mine. She giggled as I peppered her face with kisses.

“We can do this all the time…” I smiled, kissing her down to pick up where I left off...

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I struggled a lot with this chapter lol the next will be better I swear lol

**A week later...**

**_Sunny’s POV_ **

  
  


Things moved very quickly for the next week. Between Sam, Erik, and myself, we managed to pack up all my stuff and move into our new apartment. Most of the stuff in there was mine but over time, I knew Sam would go out and buy things of his own. We got two separate rooms, one on each end of the apartment with the communal space and kitchen in the middle. We weren’t a couple but we damn sure tended to act like one. And even though we were sleeping together, I completely understood that he didn’t want to be tied down. I did as well so it didn’t bother me. He almost always would end up sleeping in my room. We’d stay up late, studying Hoysala culture and end up falling asleep where we were. We worked tirelessly. Erik had to bring me food because I would forget to eat with my head buried in books and articles online. Sometimes Sam would forget to eat as well and I would end up sharing my food.

Today, after a much needed haircut, while Sam was out, Erik had come over to help me unpack our living room. He knocked on my door rhythmically and repeatedly until I literally put hands on the door. I swung it open and narrowed my eyes at his ridiculous expression. “You suck.”

“You love me.” He replied rather quickly, kissing my cheek as he brushed by me. I admired his look of the month. He had changed his hair once again. He’d gone from dark hair to this platinum blonde with micro bangs. He wore a pink hoodie with matching pink shorts and a nice pair of white FILAs. He was always changing his appearance every other month so I didn’t think much of it. He looked around the room and a wave of relaxation washed over his face. “Where’s  _ Samuel? _ He’s not lurkin’ about today?” He asked with fake concern. I shook my head with a smile and scratched my head as I closed the door. 

“He’s out renting a car… a vehicle. Probably a motorcycle. I’m not sure.” I shrugged, sitting on the floral couch. I really wasn’t sure what he’d come home with. But I specifically told him he needed a car. I was almost ninety nine percent positive he wouldn’t listen though. Erik sat on the couch next to me and laid his head on my shoulder.

“So what are we sorting out today?” He asked.

“I wanna get this living room done. I’m tired of having a colossal fuck of books all over my bedroom floor. I mean granted Sam and I have a convenient place to crash right away but-”

“He sleeps with you?” He asked. The look on his face was one I’d seen many times throughout the week. Hurt. I sighed. He was doing it again. Ever since he met Sam, he’s been acting as if a bully had taken his new toy. And I knew why. It was my own fault…

“Erik listen-” I began but he cut me off.

“You haven’t told him have you? About us, I mean.” He asked, his voice growing soft. His arched brows met in the middle as his gaze focused on me. I parted my lips to speak but I wasn’t sure what to say. Erik and I had been in a complicated friendship for many years. Sometimes when the moment took us, we’d fool around. And it was nice for a while. It worked for me because I didn’t want a relationship. However, when I got back from Libertalia, I slept with him again... and again… until I realized things just weren’t the same. He didn’t feel the same. It just wasn’t right. I didn’t know why until a certain Drake came back into my life. After that first morning, everything began to make sense. He wasn’t Sam. I was catching feelings for a man for the first time in a  _ very _ long time.

“Why do I need to tell him? He’s not my boyfriend. We’re not together-” Which was true. We weren’t.

“You like him-” he mumbled, picking at his nails on his tattooed fingers.

“I— of course I like him, Erik! I’m not gonna room with someone I don’t like.”

“Uh huh. You know what I meant...” He mumbled. 

“I don’t want a relationship. I’m fine with how things are.” It felt like a lie the moment those words left my mouth. It was a truth for me up until now. Suddenly, he crept up to me, his crooked nose brushing against mine as he looked into my eyes with his green ones.

“Then kiss me.” I sighed. I just couldn’t do it. It didn’t feel right to me anymore.

“Erik…. I can’t.”

“Uh huh….” He made a disappointed face and stood to leave but I called after him.

“Don’t do this. Don’t turn this into another Tony situation.” I tried to assure him. I dated a guy years ago and he turned out to be one of the worst people on the planet. Erik tried to tell me but I didn’t listen and ended up getting hurt.

“He’s a  _ dickhead! _ And he will hurt you, Sunflower! Exactly like Tony!” He raises his voice a notch and I didn’t like that.

“He is  _ nothin’ _ like Tony.” I snapped, staring at him. I suddenly got very protective of him. He looked at me incredulously. 

“After all we’ve been through, honestly love, I can’t believe you still pick these guys no matter how many times I warn you about them.” He sighed, shaking his head. I opened my mouth to chew him out and defend my stance when a loud honk was heard from outside. Both of us brought our gaze to the window and there was a massive white truck in the parking lot, a red motorcycle strapped into the bed. Sitting in the front seat with a wide grin on his face was Sam. I shook my head and grinned, going to stick my head out the window.

“You just couldn’t help yourself, could ya?!” I shouted to him.

“You said get a car!” He shouted over the engine. “I still wanted a bike! I’ll be up in a minute!” He said before pulling into a parking spot. I looked back at Erik with a smile but he stood firmly with his arms folded across his chest. He wasn’t happy with me. I took a deep breath and crossed my arms. I don’t know what result he was hoping to get by telling Sam we banged on the couch a week before he showed up. 

“I’m sure it’s bound to come up in conversation. If it does- and he asks about it- I will answer him. Fair?” I asked. He narrowed his eyes and chewed on his lip. Honestly, it was the best I could do. He stared at me a while before sighing. He just nodded. I was relieved. “Yeah? Okay. Just  _ please _ … try n’ get along with him. In the meantime?” He avoided my gaze and I stomped my foot when he didn’t answer me. “Erik!” I snapped.

“ _ Okay! _ Jaysis….” He exclaimed. With that he lit himself a cigarette and so did I. I needed to calm down a little. I was feeling a whole lot of emotions at the moment. “I’ll start with the bookshelf?” He mumbled, smoke exiting his nostrils. I just nodded.

“Yes please. If you don’t mind.” I sighed.

Later, Sam had come home, entering the living room as he jingled a ring of keys at me and tossed them on the small dinner table by the window. “2010 white Chevrolet Silverado truck and a  _ bitchin’ _ red 2016 Ducati Scrambler.  _ And! _ I bought groceries. Also beer.  _ Good beer. _ Not that hipster shit they’ve brainwashed you into drinkin’ here.” He said with a grin before kissing my forehead and sitting everything on the table. My stomach flipped at his touch. I wanted to kiss him back but with Erik in the room, things were awkward now. It was like walking on eggshells. I sighed as I turned on some music and began to put the groceries he brought away, starting with putting the beer in the crisper. I was going to need one sooner than I thought. 

“Sounds like you had a pretty productive morning.” Erik grumbled, struggling to put the massive dark wood bookshelf together.

“You can say that.” He said, peeling his denim jacket from his body and draping it over the couch. He pushed up the sleeves of his wine colored Henley and adjusted his jeans before looking at me for a moment longer than normal. “You cut your hair. I like it.” He said with a warm smile. I grinned at the fact that he even noticed. “So what all are we doin’ today?” He asked, clapping his hands together.

“My goal is to build the shelf and fill it with books, set up the office corner, and the entertainment system needs to be built up again. Erik has the shelf, do you wanna build the system or set up the office?”

“I’ll build the system.” He said, reaching beneath the sink and pulling out a tool box. Erik looked over and huffed.

“Bollocks. I wish I would’ve known there was a tool box— this would’ve been done quicker!” He said as he watched Sam sit the tools on the coffee table.

“What do you need? I’m sure there’s enough in here for both of us to use.” Sam said. I smiled to myself. He knew what Erik meant to me. He knew he was going to be a part of my life and even though he didn’t like him much, he tolerated him. And I could see he was trying.

“You got a screwdriver in there?” Erik asked.

“What kind? I got phillips head, slotted, torx, frearson—” Sam began listing several types and the look on Erik’s face was as if someone was speaking another language to him.

“ _ Holy shit, man- what?! _ Is that even English, mate? What the hell- did you just make those up?” Erik exclaimed in confusion and Sam just burst into laughter. Erik was not a handyman by any means but holy shit it was funny to watch him try. I laughed at their interactions and stayed a moment to watch the two of them. It was nice. With that, I went to the room in the corner and began to unpack the office boxes. 

  
  


We worked for hours, putting things away, hanging things on the wall, breaking down empty boxes. And when we finished it all up, Erik ordered a pizza and we all got very drunk. We sat around the dinner table, beer after beer, playing monopoly (and yes you guessed it, those two assholes played with  _ actual  _ money), and telling stories about our lives and our adventures. Erik wouldn’t stop telling these embarrassing stories of me in middle school and high school. I could tell Sam was enjoying every second of my pain. I cringed as he told him about how I played a dancing fork in the school play and how I had a crush on the spoon and I kept making shitty utensil jokes as pick up lines. 

“Honestly, it was horrible! You should’ve been there!” Erik wheezed, sipping his beer.

“I’m sure it was something to behold…” Sam smirked, looking at me. I blushed a little, running my fingers through my hair. In the corner of my eye, I could see Erik’s expression change. He cleared his throat and then directed his attention to Sam.

“So Samuel,” He began. “All those countries you visited, I’m sure there had to be some lovely women around, eh?” I raised my eyebrow at him and he did the same, taking a long sip of his beer as he awaited an answer. Sam looked at me and then to the cigarette between his fingers.

“Yeah I suppose there were a few…” he said carefully. It hurt a little but again, we weren’t a couple and he had no obligations to me. Just like I didn’t with him…

“A man of your stature should catch ‘me easy no problem, right?” Erik seemed to keep his eyes fixed on me as he spoke. I flared my nostrils and practically felt my eyes darting all over his face.

“You overestimate me but I’m flattered.” Sam chuckled. “Most of them were either a ‘hell no’, ‘go to hell’, or thought maybe I was tryin’ to mug them.” I pouted, pushing some hair behind his large ears and giggled.

“Aww, poor baby doesn’t even realize his own size.” I smiled. He rolled his eyes, stifling a grin.

“I’m sure you could do a lot better. Like that one time in Scotland.” He smirked. I knew exactly what he was talking about and I laid my head in my arms with an embarrassed groan. Erik looked between the two of us, interested in what was being said.

“What time in Scotland?” He asked.

“ _ Which person? _ The old man or the hot nurse?” I chuckled.

“ _ Hot nurse?! _ ” Erik exclaimed. “ _ I need the story, love. _ ” And with that Sam began to tell him about how I set him up and took his girl for the night. I received a high five and a slew of compliments.

The night dragged on and Sam was beginning to get a little handsy under the table. He ran his fingers up and down the inside of my thighs as Erik drunkenly babbled on about god knows what. I was too distracted to hear. His calloused fingertips slipped beneath my skirt and brushed along my clothes slit and I jumped a little. He smirked as Erik let out a long yawn. “You sound tired, bub.” I said to him and he stretched, nodding his head. His dark lashes fluttered on his high cheekbones as he leaned back in his seat. His eyes barely opened. Sam gripped my thigh tightly and I smacked his hand away, giving him a look that told him to behave. I stood up to go grab a pillow and a blanket for him and laid them out on the couch.

“You can crash here tonight. You’re too fucked to drive.” I said, lifting his arms and pulling off his pink hoodie, leaving him in a white tee shirt. “C’mon, drunky.” I told him, grabbing his tattooed hands as he turned in his seat. I pulled him up and led him to the couch where he crashed into it and didn’t even move from his spot. I chuckled, ruffling his hair and throwing the blanket over him. I put his cigarettes on the coffee table next to him. Sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the night to smoke and then pass out again. 

“Sunny, you’re a gorgeous gal.” He mumbled drunkenly.

“Thank you, Erik. Now go to sleep.” I said, kissing his forehead. 

“You’re the bestest friend I’ve ever had! And I  _ fookin’ _ love ya!” He called out as I turned to look at Sam. He stifled a laugh as he started throwing away the beer bottles we lined up on the counter.

“Love you, too, Erik.  _ Go to sleep. _ ”

“Okieee….” he mumbled before dozing off into a light snore. I shook my head as I put the pizza in the fridge. Sam leaned against the fridge as I closed the door and winked at me. I laughed.

“And what do you want?” I purred with a Cheshire smile.

“To sleep with you.” He answered, boldly. I smirked and crept up to him, tugging on the bottom of his shirt.

“You  _ do  _ remember that you have your own bed, right?” I asked teasingly. He narrowed his eyes and bent down to whisper in my ear.

“Yeah  _ but _ ... I have a feeling there won’t be much sleepin’ if I stay with you.” He told me, pressing a long warm kiss on my neck. A jolt of excitement ran through my body as his hands engulfed my hips and pulled me towards him. I giggled a little as his hands travelled down my backside. He patted my ass, prompting me to jump into his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he carried me into my room, showering me with kisses and kicked the door closed.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Erik’s POV_ **

The room was spinning as I laid out on my best friend’s couch. After my talk with Sunny and seeing her with Samuel, being sober for the night just didn’t seem like a plan. I hated this. This guy lied to her repeatedly, chose treasure over her  _ and _ his family, almost got her killed on  _ several _ occasions… And yet still he managed to sway the girl I’ve loved for so many years. How he did it, I didn’t know, but he was a right lucky git for it and he had no clue just how much. I knew I wasn’t very  _ manly _ . I couldn’t shoot a gun, I could barely fight, I let Sunny pick out the best car for me because I didn’t know shit about them. But I loved her… with all my heart. So much so that I’d taken care of her since she was 15. I made sure she was safe every chance I got, I took the girl to prom; I let her sleep around with whoever she wanted even though it hurt because I gave a damn but she always came back to me. And getting used to it, I always counted on it. But this time it felt different. She wasn’t coming back… and it broke my heart into the tiniest pieces. She could say that they weren’t a proper couple or that she didn’t have a semblance of feelings for him and all that shite but they were well on their way to it. Both of them were stupid if they thought otherwise.

She didn’t tell me much about Samuel when I asked her how her last trip went. Just that he was “an absolute asshole” but that they were “cool” after saving each other so much. I didn’t like the sound of him. But Samuel was the  _ last  _ thing on my mind. I was just happy that she came back home alive. When she came back, things started up again like usual. A mutual friend of ours, Catalina, and I took her out the day she came home. We all got absolutely blitzed and then one thing led to another… We ended up sleeping together that night. I relished her being safe and sound back in my arms; her head laying on my shoulder, the way she blinked at me and the warmth of her lips over mine. The way she’d hit me, giggling when I said something hilariously crass. Looking into her eyes, I would’ve died for her ten times over. I almost did once. I accompanied her to a job in London to work with Nathan, Chloe, and Sullivan. And Charlie  _ bloody _ Cutter...but never mind him. The point was that I was happy. She deserved all the love that could be given to her. Maybe it would’ve been me if I had told her then… ‘ _ I should’ve told her then… _ ’ I thought with a grumble, rubbing a heavy hand over my face.

After that night, things began to change between us. Any time I touched her or looked at her for too long, she just pulled away from me. It was like she completely discarded me. But I never pushed. I knew that she didn’t want my company in that way. I never thought to ask why. She didn’t owe me anything so I let it be. As long as she was happy, it was fine by me. But she wasn’t happy. For months after Libertalia, she barely smiled, hardly slept, and she overworked herself. Then when Samuel Drake just showed up out of the blue… The way she looked at him… I knew there was more to the story than all she’d told me.

I shook my head and sat up from the couch to light myself a cigarette as thoughts swirled around the drunken chamber of my mind. As I looked up I noticed a specific framed photograph sitting in the entertainment system. It was one of us. She was smiling cutely as I pinched her cheeks, laughing, and our faces were painted. Mine like Spider-Man and hers like a glittery butterfly. I laid back down, staring at the ceiling as I remembered that day. We’d gone to a carnival when we first moved to Sam Francisco. And like the child she tended to be, wanted to get our faces done. I remembered the outrageous foods we ate, the petting zoo where she cuddled several baby piglets, the ride we had gone on that spun us about so much that she hurled as soon as she got off. It was one of my happiest moments with her. 

I chuckled at the memory, taking a drag of my cigarette when a loud thump tore me from my thoughts. Then another… and another. Until it was rhythmic. I gave a  _ devastated _ sigh as my heart broke once more. When I listened a little harder, I could hear Sunny’s moans. I knew them better than anybody. I shook my head, wincing as she failed to hold back her whimpers and whines. “ _ Jesus _ , sweetheart!” I heard Samuel say weakly followed by a flirtatious giggle from my friend. Her laugh turned into a repetitive sigh and short gasps. The bed creaked loudly throughout the living room and I huffed as my face contorted into something bothersome. ‘ _ Oh piss off! _ ’ I thought with a groan, throwing an arm over my eyes. I could only imagine what they were doing in there...

There was a tension growing between my brows that sprung into a migraine. I frowned and rolled my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose as I checked my phone for the time. It was 3AM. I was still a little drunk and I didn’t wanna crash my car so I decided I’d just walk home. I made sure I grabbed my keys and that, grabbed my wallet and cigarettes. Trying my best to keep myself together, I snuck out of the apartment. I didn’t even tell her goodbye. She was busy anyway. I walked down the street, staring at the night sky as my thoughts came about again. All of them came to the same conclusion. “I definitely should’ve told her…”

  
  


**_Sunny’s POV_ **

I blinked myself awake as the sun poured in through the window. Lying naked in front of me with an arm wrapped tightly around my waist, Sam was tucked under the covers, snoring rather loudly. But I didn’t mind. In my sleepy haze, I actually had a moment to look at him. These past months had done him  _ good. _ He was tanned so well his freckles browned and peppered his face; he had this oddly healthy glow about him. He seemed happier, less stressed. His hair had grown a bit longer and even though he had a few scrapes and yet to fully heal bruises, he was a striving image of perfection. Not to mention how much more horny he’d been. It amused me considering he had free reign for six months. It was like he missed me or something. I know I missed him. And I hated to admit it but he was all I could think about since Libertalia happened.

Today sucked. I had to take him to the airport today. The job was starting soon and he had to be in India a day sooner than myself to play his role in the plan. A plan that had yet to be discussed with me but I guessed I’d just figure it out when I met with Chloe. I pushed a strand of hair behind his ear and just let my eyes look over him in appreciation. My heart skipped as I watched the burly man sleep peacefully. Then I noticed the bracelet on his arm that rested between us. Black wooden beads with a little sunflower charm. I stared at it a while and let my fingers run over it. That’s when one of his bright hazel eyes opened up to look at me, wincing at the sunlight.

“You plottin’ on my jewelry, sister?” He asked in a tired, raspy tone. I giggled softly as he grabbed my hand and kissed my knuckles. I cuddled up close to him, feeling the warmth of his body on mine and nuzzling my face into his chest. He wrapped his arm around me and rested his forehead on mine, stroking my shoulder with his thumb and giving himself a chance to wake. 

“Hey you…” He grinned with a yawn, his eyes barely opened.

“Hey you…” I responded. In the moment, I began to overthink. He was going off without me and I couldn’t watch his back. What if he found a trap and got caught in it? What if he missed a cliff and there was no one to catch him? What if he runs into competition and gets himself killed? He opened one of his eyes and began to blink tiredly at me, rubbing the sleep from them. I chewed on my lip avoiding his gaze as endless what ifs ran through my head and he shifted on his side.

“Don’t do that.” He said, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Do what?” I asked in honest confusion.

“That.” He poked at the space between my brows. “You wrinkle your forehead when you get worried. There’s no need for that.” I rolled my eyes and brought my gaze to a random place at the foot of the bed. “Sunny… look at me.” He trapped my chin between his fingers and turned my head to look at him.

“I’ll be  _ fine  _ . I’m just doin’ some recon on the tusk. That’s all, okay? And when it’s all over, I’ll meet you guys. In one piece! I promise.” He told me, playing with one of my curls before reaching around me and untying the bracelet from his wrist. He held the beaded jewelry between us, flashing the sunflower charm at me. “I meant to give this to you when I saw you but things just got so busy all week I never got the chance.” I rested my head on his arm as he grabbed my wrist and began to tie it up. “You know, I had no clue your name was short for  _ Sunflower _ . How’d you end up with that one?” He chuckled. I grinned a bit for a moment before speaking.

“Yeah…. that’s not my fault. Y’know Spurrs isn’t even my real last name…” I hummed. In retrospect, I felt like a fake in a way. He rested his head in his hand, interested in what I had to say.

“Yeah?”

“Mhmm… it’s Nichols. Sunflower Matilda _ Nichols _ .”

“Jesus,  _ Matilda? _ Did they hate you?” He joked.

“You’d think that, right?” I chuckled a little and he pinched my cheek. I sighed sadly as I began to remember my family. “According to my Pops, my Ma was  _ really  _ into gardening and flowers n’ stuff. And there was this sunflower patch she used to visit near where they were livin’ at the time. She would go whenever it was sunny out. And so she named me Sunflower because it was a symbol of her happy place. But that was before….” I explained. Then I suddenly felt sad. I hadn’t thought about my family in a while. He could sense there was something wrong.

“What happened?” He asked gently, his thumbs rubbing over my hips in comfort. I took a deep breath and tried my darndest not to cry. Only a single tear fell. One of my parents didn’t deserve my tears.

“My Ma passed away givin’ birth to me…. I killed her. And my Pops… he took care of me until I was 15 but… I think…. eventually he just couldn’t handle seein’ the woman he loved in my face anymore… and he left. Didn’t surrender me to state, drop me off at grandma’s- nothin’. He just….  _ left… _ ” I said, solemnly. 

It hurt more because I was old enough to understand. I remembered it like it was yesterday. I remembered it was a good day. Warm and sunny, the skies were clear…. Erik and I had ridden our bikes home from school and played in the park until the sunset. And when I got home, my Pops’ car wasn’t there. I didn’t think much of it at first because he tended to work late at the garage. But this time was different. I made myself a sandwich and went to sleep. When I woke up in the morning he still hadn’t come home. I remembered calling him several times and him not answering; The panic I felt when I realized he wasn’t coming back, the embarrassment of being left alone and not knowing how to help myself, the bullies telling me that my dad left because he didn’t want me. It was hard. But Erik took care of me. He didn’t have to but he did. He would have me over for dinner with his parents, make sure I got my homework done… He took me away and I wouldn’t have made it if it weren’t for him. But after so many years, I grew. And I was stronger now. And I wouldn’t let anyone hurt me like that again.

I looked up at Sam as he listened to every word carefully. He understood. He knew what it was like to be abandoned by a father better than anyone. The feeling of being unwanted by someone who was supposed to love you and take care of you. He pulled me close and kissed my face. “Fuck shitty dads.” He said and I grinned softly.

“Yeah… fuck shitty dads.” I agreed firmly. And I meant it.  _ Fuck him.  _ I shook off the sadness and sat up, throwing the covers off, cold air hitting my naked body. “I’m gonna make pancakes.” I told him with a small shiver, standing up and rounding the bed. Just before I could get to my closet, he grabbed a hold of my wrist and yanked me back into bed on top of him. I squealed a little and he laughed as his rough hands caressed my cheek. 

“Not yet… I wanted to hold you a little longer.” He mumbled before kissing me deeply.

“How much longer? Because you have to start getting ready soon.” I said to him, wanting to just get the day over with. I didn’t want to cling to him until time to go. It would only worry me more. But then he kissed me again and dragged a finger between the valley of my breasts. He ran his hand down my body and went straight to rubbing his thumb over my clit.

“I’m thinkin’ I could make you cum in the next five minutes.” He smirked, boldly. I chuckled as he made me writhe beneath his electric touch. He kissed over my shoulder and adjusted himself over me to trail kisses down my body, pinching and nipping at my nipples. He had a tight grip on my waist as he got closer to my slit and I chuckled.

“I’ll enjoy watchin’ you try.” I replied as he hooked his hands behind my legs and pulled me closer to him, throwing them over his broad shoulders.

“I won’t have to try, sweetheart. I will.” He answered back, darkly as he licked his lips and dove right in. A loud gasp tore from me as he slid in a single finger and began swirling his tongue around my clit expertly. Then I shut my eyes tightly…

  
  


Just as he said, he made me orgasm very quickly and wore a slick smile for the rest of the morning. After we had gotten dressed, I ran out of the room to go jump on Erik but he was nowhere to be found. I frowned. He didn’t even say goodbye! He didn’t leave a message for me or anything. Sam didn’t seem too bothered by it. He just shrugged and started a pot of coffee, lighting himself a cigarette. I grabbed my phone and called him up, cradling my phone between my shoulder and ear as I pulled things from the cabinet to start on pancakes. It took a while but he answered eventually.

“ _ HEY! _ ” I shouted.

“Hey Sunny.” He answered monotonously. Something was wrong and I could hear it in his voice.

“Where’d you go?! You can’t say bye to nobody?” I asked, grabbing a bowl from the dish rack as I shook my head. I started to make the batter with vanilla and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.

“You wouldn’t have heard me anyways.” He said.

“That’s a lie and you know it. What if somethin’ had happened to you? Huh? What Imma tell the police? ‘Oh he was here nice and high and now he’s gone!’?” I bitched at him a little bit. He knew better than to be going off without telling anybody. Without telling me. “I bet you don’t pull this shit with Cat. Tell me you didn’t drive.” I said sourly as I turned on the pan and began to butter it. Sam placed a hand on my hip and kissed my cheek, sitting a mug of coffee on the windowsill in front of me. I smiled at him briefly as a thank you as I watched him disappear into his room.

“I barely pull the shit with you and  _ no _ I didn’t drive. I walked, so relax.” He retorted. He sounded so irritated. I turned the heat down and leaned on the counter a moment as I furrowed my brows.

“Are you okay, sugar?” I asked him with concern. It took him a while to answer me.

“.... Yeah, love. I’m fine. Just a little hungover. I’m at Cat’s bakery. I’ll be by later to pick up my car.” He said shortly. I sighed and grabbed a spoon to start making misshaped pancakes.

“Fine. Are you  _ sure _ you’re okay? You know I can tell when you aren’t.” I flipped the pancakes and waited for the other side to cook. He huffed loudly on the other end.

“I  _ still _ love you, I’m  _ still _ going to take you to the airport, Cat is making you something for your travels, and I will make sure your car is in one piece when you return.” He said in a defeated tone. “I promise I’m just a little hungover. Nothin’ a bit of coffee can’t fix.” I could hear a faint smile as he spoke.

“Hmm…… okay. Well, give Cat kisses for me. I might stop by the cafe after I drop off Sam.” I sighed.

“Kay, love. Tah-rah.” He said with a yawn.

“Tah-raaah.” I sighed, hanging up. 

I pinched the sand from my eyes and took a sip of coffee. Just as I began to plate the pancakes, Sam emerged from his room clad in this ridiculous blue Hawaiian shirt, printed with bold light blue flowers. He wore a simple white tank top that clung to his muscular frame with his jeans that never seemed to be clean no matter how many times he washed them and dirty climbing boots. I blinked at him a couple times… and the eye sore that was this shirt. “Sam…” I groaned as he threw a fully packed duffle bag on the couch.

“Yeah?” His eyes widened at the sight of my pancakes and he came to pick up his coffee mug from the table. I tried to find the best way to say what I was thinking without being an asshole about it.

“What…. why….. I don’t like this shirt.” I ended up saying simply. He burst into laughter and kissed my temple.

“I’m not changing my shirt.” He said seriously for a moment. I grinned with silent laughs.

“I didn’t say  _ change  _ it…. I was gonna say burn it.” I mumbled.

“HA!  _ Burn it?! _ That’s harsh, sweetheart. I happen to love this shirt. Victor bought me this shirt.” He chuckled.

“And Victor can take it right back where he bought it from.” I joked. He rolled his eyes as he laughed into his coffee and I set his plate. “C’mon over here n’ eat, goofy.” 

  
  


After breakfast, we took my car and drove out to the airport. He kept his hand on my thigh or over my shoulder the whole ride. And I dreaded letting him go. When we stopped at the drop off, I could barely look at him. I had him back for a week and I had to let him go again. He leaned on the car door and just stared at me. Like he already knew what I was thinking. “Sunny… you’ll see me on the job y’know? I’m just going to check out the area. Don’t worry about me. I’m scrappy and I know my way around a fight. It’ll be okay. I promise.” He told me. I nodded my head and adjusted my sunglasses on my face.

“If anything, I should be worrying about  _ you. _ You’ll be where the action is.” He told me, pinching my cheek. I shook my head with a smile. “Say something before I go. Anything.” He said scooting closer to me, lifting my chin with his finger. I looked into his hazel eyes from behind my shades and smirked.

“Chicken butt.” I said plainly and he laughed.

“Very mature, sweetheart.” He grinned before kissing me deeply. With that, he got out of the car. He threw his bag over his shoulder and winked at me. “I’ll see you in India!” He yelled back at me before disappearing into the airport. I got a bad feeling as I watched him walk away. But there was nothing I could do about it besides trust him to do his job safely. Remembering I’d see him later made things a bit better but I would stay on guard as always. All anyone had to do was say the word and I’d come running. With that in mind, I started my car and drove off.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: brief smut

**The next day...**

**_Sunny’s POV_ **

“I can’t believe you’re really going to India, Sun. It’s probably  _ so gorgeous! _ ” My friend, Catalina, raved as I sat at a table closest to the front counter of her bakery. I feigned a smile and stirred the coffee she made me, watching her pack a fat bag full of pasta and a tub of chocolate chip cookies.

“Yeah! All the dead bodies are  _ really _ gonna add a nice touch to the postcard I’ll send you.” I said with a touch of sarcasm as I rested my chin in my palm, looking at her with a smile. But the joke went right over her head.

“ _ Dead bodies?! _ ” She exclaimed.

“Cat, darling, she’s goin’ into a bloody war zone.” Erik told her slowly.

“ _ A war zone?! _ ” Her brown almond shaped eyes widened as her jaw dropped and she leaned over the counter. “A WAR ZONE?!”

“I think we broke her.” Erik joked, looking at me. I allowed myself to giggle and I sipped my coffee carefully so as to not burn my lips.

“Suck it, Erik.” Catalina grumbled, blowing her flouncy dark bangs off of her round freckled face and throwing a cookie at him. I grinned as he made a face and sipped his iced Mochaccino with extra whip sourly through his straw. 

“I could leave you, y’know?” He said. I rolled my eyes. These were the two people that kept me remotely sane in my 7 years of being in San Francisco.

It was a  _ very _ early morning for us. Erik and Catalina were driving me to Sully’s plane which he parked on a runway in a hangar outside the city. It was a pretty long drive but an even longer flight. 17 hours of just me and the old man. I was sure he’d let me fly until I got tired. And there would be so much to talk about. I hadn’t seen him since Libertalia. I missed him a lot too. When my friend finished packing everything into a travel bag, she locked up the bakery and the three of us hopped into Erik’s black 2015 Ford Mustang. I took backseat while Catalina rode shotgun, Erik blasting whatever rap music he liked listening to as he drove along a road that seemed to wind for the longest. I listened to my friends sing their songs and make jokes and I leaned into the door as I watched the smiles on their faces. I couldn’t die while I was gone. I wouldn’t allow myself. ‘ _ Who would take care of these idiots? _ ’ I thought with a slight chuckle.

As we arrived at the hangar, I could see that familiar tall silver haired fox, sitting on the steps of his seaplane as he smoked a cigar just waiting for me. The wind pushing at his clothes and hair lightly. Erik just pulled up right to the plane and stopped the car. I gave a big sigh and mentally prepared myself for the adventure ahead before hopping out. As soon as I did, I went running into Sully’s arms to deliver the biggest hug. 

“How ya doin’, kid? You look tired.” He asked me. I gave him a small smile and shuffled my feet.

“A lot has happened this week. Sam came, he got me fired, now we live together-”

“ _ He got you fired? _ ” Sully forced a laugh and shook his head. “But it’s good. You didn’t need to be there anyway.”

“Yeah…. he punched my boss in the face!” I said, raising a brow as I looked at him. He cackled.

“That’s Sam for ya.”

“ _ Mmmhmm _ .” I agreed, picking at my nails. “I guess I should be grateful though. Won’t have to work at that  _ shithole _ again.”

“That’s a bright side…” he nodded.

“And I get to travel more with you guys! Do work that I actually give a fuck about.” I grinned. He pinched my cheek with a proud smile as Erik and Cat got out of the car. Erik grabbed one of my bags from the trunk and brought it over to me.

“Erik  _ goddamn  _ Tales. How long has it been?” Sully asked, shaking his hand strongly. I’d forgotten that the last time they saw each other we were all in London.

“I wanna say 6 years, mate.” Erik smiled as he handed me my bag and I went to put it on board.

“ _ Jesus _ , time really does fly, huh? You look good! Put on a little bit of muscle since I saw you last.” He said with a smile.

“Ah, cheers, Mr. Sullivan!” Erik smiles in embarrassment as he continued.

“I remember when you were just a skinny little thing.” Sully tapped him in the chest with the back of his hand casually as he spoke. Erik just laughed and nodded.

“Yeah I’m workin’ on it.” He chuckled. As I hopped out of the plane, I noticed Catalina trying to grab the biggest bag; the one full of my weapons. She struggled to pick it up and damn near dropped it on her foot when she managed to get it out of the trunk. I giggled and ran over to help her.

“You good, Kitty Cat?” I asked her and she huffed as the weight of the bag pulled her down a bit.

“What in the  _ hell _ do you have in here?” She asked, straining herself to pick it up.

“Guns.” I told her simply, picking up the bag with ease and linking an arm around hers as she held onto the bag of food she packed. I walked her over to the plane and introduced her to Sully. “Victor Sullivan, Catalina Cabrera.” I said quickly, pushing between everyone to put my guns on the plane. Sully’s posture straightened a little at the sight of my precious friend. In a heartbeat he swooped up her hand and placed a kiss on the back of her knuckles.

“Nice to meet you, sweetheart.” He said rather smoothly. As I came off the plane, Cat shot me a look and wiggled her thick brows at me. I shook my head and fought off a smile. Then she handed him the travel bag.

“I made you guys a little something for the road…. well… the sky…” She said and he chuckled.

“Sunny, you never told me you had cute friends.” Sully puffed on his cigar and smirked at me.

“Settle down, ya dirty ol’ dog.” I laughed, patting his back.

“I made pasta and cookies. I hope you guys like it.” She said to him as he looked in the bag.

“I’m sure we’ll love it. Cat here can cook like a fuckin’ Master Chef. She’s got her own bakery and everything.” I said to him, hugging her and kissing her cheeks.

“I’m  _ okay _ -”

“ _ Bullshite. _ It’ll be the best damn cappuccino you ever have in your life.” Erik said, interrupting her humble moment to push her about with a smile.

“Well when we get back, I might just have to take you up on that.” Sully said as I took the bag from him. I looked at Erik who had been rather quiet. During the ride over he kept looking at me through the rear view, like he wanted to say something but couldn’t. His eyes just kept bouncing between me and the road. ‘ _ I hope he’s okay… _ ’ I thought for a moment.

“Welp! We got a lotta air to cover. Let’s hit the skies, shall we? Lovely meeting you, Miss Cabrera. Erik, practice your aim, bud.” With that, Sully turned to get into his plane. I hugged Cat tightly and she ran her fingers through my curls.

“You  _ better _ come back. Scratches and bruises only. I’m still traumatized from your gunshot wounds.” She told me, burying her face in my chest. I chuckled and poked her nose.

“I’ll be fine. Be good while I’m gone. Sell the fuck outta those pumpkin cupcakes. People are gonna  _ love  _ them. Look out for each other. And keep Erik outta trouble. Please?” I said. 

“Of course.” She smiled. The look in her eyes told me she’d be just fine. Then I turned to Erik. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he slowly slipped his arms around my waist. He hugged me as tight as he would before I left anywhere. But he lingered a bit this time. The way he looked down at me, there was so many emotions swirling in his green eyes; too many to unpack at the moment. He parted his lips to speak and stuttered a bit.

“Sunny, I…. I uh…” he pondered a moment.

“Yeah?” I urged him to keep talking. He seemed to shake his head a bit before a calm smile stretched across his face.

“I’ll hold down the fort while you’re gone…” he told me as he looked me in my eyes. I knew it wasn’t what he wanted to say so I made a mental note to talk to him when I got back. I just smiled and kissed his cheek before stepping onto the plane. His hands lingered in mine like he didn’t want to let me go yet he reluctantly did so.

“Alright. I love you guys! Call me!” I shouted, closing the plane door behind me. I sat in the passenger seat of the seaplane and looked down at my friends, waving as we flew off. I watched as they grew tinier and tinier the higher we got. Soon they were but little specks on the ground and we were above the clouds.

“That’s my family, Sully… those two… They’re all that matters…” I looked at the ground where they were even though we were high in the clouds now, my hand against the glass as we flew through the air. 

“I’m glad to know you’ve got people out here that care about you. I worry, y’know?” He said gently. I was surprised at him.

“Victor Sullivan, I do believe you’re goin’ soft on me.” I told him with a smirk. He shook his head and chuckled. “I can fly later, right?”

“ _ Absolutely not. _ ” He shut me down immediately and my nose turned up as my brows tensed.

“Why in the  _ sam hell _ did you teach me how to fly a goddamn plane if you won’t let me fly said goddamn plane?” I asked in annoyance. He just chuckled.

“I didn’t think you’d actually want to-”

“WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT?!” I snapped. I was a bit disappointed. I was looking forward to flying a bit.

The flight was rather long and I fell asleep twice. I chatted with Sully about him and Sam’s recent adventures (the whole two sides to a story deal). It seemed as if Sam had been living his best life for the past six months. Sully busted a knee during one trip and he’d been a little light on it lately. He would tell me that getting old means more recovery time. Something I wasn’t exactly looking forward to. Suddenly, he began acting a little shifty. I picked it up and narrowed my eyes at him for a moment before turning my eyes back to the blue sky and fluffy clouds before us.

“What is it, old man?” I asked, slouching in my seat and biting my nails. He gave a nervous chuckle, knowing nothing could really get by me.

“How’s Sam been?” He asked me. I raised my brows and snorted. There was once a time where the two men couldn’t even stand each other and now he was checking up on him…

“Fine…. We got a shared apartment. He wanted to make up for getting me fired.” I mumbled.

“ _ You live together?! _ ” He shouted. I stared at him with widened eyes before smirking a little.

“Geez, Sully. Don’t be such a dad about it.” I said. “Look, it’s a win-win situation. I get a new place, half the rent, I practically live in my workspace now, and he’d be gone a lot so I’d have the place to myself mostly… among other explicit things.” I smirked. Sully’s expression seemed a bit uneasy as he shifted in the pilot’s seat. He cleared his throat and tried to suppress his grim facade. Something felt off. Like he wanted to tell me something. Kind of like everyone else who was afraid to tell me things nowadays. “Okay, Sullivan. Spill it.”

“Heh…. I don’t wanna drive a wedge between you two by any means… and you know I just wanna look out for ya—”

“ _ Victor… _ you’re stalling.” I said, calling him out.

“Sam’s had a bit of company… during his time away. Before he came to see you. It wasn’t just one… it had been a couple.” He told me nervously. I took a deep breath as my heart pounded against my chest suddenly. Sam mentioned before that he’d been with other girls during his travels. He never elaborated on it but it stayed in the back of my mind. Bringing it up again only made me think about it more. I looked at Sully with an unbothered look.

“I know. He told me.” I responded, acting as if it didn’t hurt when in fact it did (more than it was supposed to). “He can sleep with whoever he wants. It’s not like he’s my boyfriend or anything…”

“Isn’t he though?” Sully retorted rather pigheadedly. I sighed.

“No he’s not. I don’t want a boyfriend. Never needed one and I won’t start now…” The words didn’t seem true anymore. The closer I got to Samuel Drake, the more I wanted to know everything; feel everything. Be everything. But a relationship wasn’t in the cards for me. It seemed like it never was…

“Well then. I guess it doesn’t matter then.” Sully said simply.

“Nope.” I replied in a stale tone. Sully gave me a side eye but continued to keep quiet on the subject.

We finally touched down at a port in Karnataka. When we arrived, I was knocked out cold in the back of the plane. 17 hours was no joke. The gentle vibrations and the hum of the engine as I brushed up on more Hoysala culture lulled me to sleep rather easily. Not to mention Sully and I ate our weight in pasta and cookies. My friend really put her foot in it. I was suddenly startled by a hand on my shoulder, shaking me awake. My eyes fluttered open to be met with a pleasant pair of blues.

“Are we there yet?” I mumbled. He nodded.

“Yup. We made it, kid.” He told me, stretching his long limbs.

“I still can’t believe you didn’t let me fly. All goddamn 17 hours and you didn’t let me go one. That’s just mean.” I grumbled sitting up, scratching my head as he chortled.

“How about we go out n’ get some sun, huh?” He said, patting my back.

“What time is it even?” I blinked the sleepy burn from my eyes and yawned.

“11:30. AM.” He answered curtly. I made a face of pure disgust.

“It was morning when we left…” I whined.

“And it’s morning here now.” He said, putting on his sunglasses.

“This is  _ such _ trash. I hate this so much.” I scoffed with my head in my hands as I stood. I reached into my bag nearby and grabbed my sunglasses from the side pocket, sliding my jacket off my arms. Sully opened the door to the plane and the heat came pouring into the air conditioned plane, invading all my personal space. I shook my head tiredly. “Holy fuck…” I sighed, hopping off the plane. 

“Let’s get to the motel and get settled. Then I’ll take ya out for the 4x4 and I know a guy you can get a boat from. It’s on the bad side of town though so… maybe you should go in the daylight. But we can do that tomorrow.” He told, throwing his backpack over his shoulder. He was only staying for a day or two. I grabbed my bag of weapons and Sully suddenly stopped me. “You think it’s a good idea to openly carry a bag full of guns around the city right now?” He asked me. I chewed on my lip just as an Indian officer walked by.

“You’re right. I’m an idiot. And I’m tired.” I said, deciding to leave my bag on board. He threw an arm over my shoulder as I adjusted my bag of clothes over my shoulder. 

“I’ll get you some more.” He said like a coddling parent.

“Lemme guess. You got a guy for that?” I smirked. He smiled and patted my head as we walked about the city.

It was quite wonderful really. The women wore beautiful sarees, cows and chickens walking about with their owners, street vendors lined up everywhere selling just about anything and everything. Children played in the streets with soccer balls as the South Indian wind carried the most mouthwatering scents of food. The buildings were painted colorfully as well as the fishing boats in the harbor. I didn’t know where to look. It was just an explosive rainbow all over the place. We asked around a lot to figure out where a motel was and eventually the cutest little boy stopped playing with his friends to help us. Granted he swindled Sully out of ten bucks for some ice cream. 

He led us to a peach colored building with a bright pink door beneath a white archway. We thanked the kid and headed in to get rooms. We dragged our tired bodies up a couple steps and down a hall, decorated with lovely carpeting. When I got to my door, I leaned my head on it, tiredly.

“I’m gonna get some shut-eye for a while and then we can go out.” He grumbled, swinging his room keys around his fingers.

“Sounds like a plan.” I said, saluting as I watched him go into his room. “ See you at 16:00 hours, Captain?”

“At ease, sailor.” He joked, closing his door.

  
  


I’d taken a very long hot shower. I let the scalding water crash over my skin in hopes that it would calm me but it seemed that I’d just be restless for the day. For some reason, I just couldn’t get myself together. I was jet lagged like a mother and worried about Sam- about the whole job really. He warned me that he wouldn’t be able to contact me until he saw me but it didn’t make it any easier. And more importantly:  _ when?! _ I still had not a clue how it was going to pan out. In the midst of all my stressors, I managed to dress myself in a black tee shirt and camo printed fitted skinny jeans before falling asleep in my bed. Then suddenly, I found myself dreaming…

_ Bright lights shined in my eyes, practically blinding me. I could hear the fat bass of music in the speakers above me and the roar of many men in front of me. It smelled like cigarettes and booze. A scent that was all too familiar to me. I blinked a couple times when I heard a voice yell at me. “Aye! Move your ass!” I looked off to the side to see Jet scowling at me. I realized I was in Headlights and that I was on stage. So I began to move. The last I checked I wasn’t working here anymore. But I still did as I was told. When my set finished, I walked about the club. Men complimenting me on my ass and the girls I worked with complimenting me on my set. Each time a girl talked to me, I managed to find myself asking them, “Have you seen Sam? He was supposed to wait here for me.” and every answer was a solid “who?” or that they hadn’t seen him. Jet approached me at the bar and handed me a wad of cash and ordered a shot for himself, slapping me on my ass harshly as my eyes scanned the crowd. _

_ “What are you lookin’ for?” He asked me, taking a shot and ordering from the bartender behind me again. _

_ “Sam. He said he’d wait here…” I said. Jet just snickered. _

_ “Oh,  _ **_that_ ** _ guy. He’s in one of the private rooms around back. He said to come find him when you were finished.” He told me, rolling his eyes. A smile crept onto my face as I started off to the room. I didn’t know how I knew which one he was in but I did. I walked down a ridiculously long red hallway and stopped at the very last door. My heart beat seemed to grow louder in my ears as I put my hand on the golden door knob; just a steady pace. I wasn’t at all prepared for what I saw when I swung the door open.  _

_ Moans hit my ears the moment the door cracked open. I could feel my face turn into a hard frown and my eyes strained, trying to make sure what I was seeing wasn’t real. Sam was sat in a plush red chair with a girl’s head between his legs, his head thrown back as he groaned and called her “princess”. His fingers delved into her long dark hair as her head bobbed up and down in his lap, her hand curled around his cock as she worked. I couldn’t control my feet. I walked further into the room, knocking something over and stopping in my tracks as my face heated up and tears welled in my eyes, my lips trembling. They stung as they gathered up, threatening to fall hot and heavy from my lids. He looked up at me a moment and uttered my name with a shiver. My heart shattered as this girl stood and pulled her panties down and sat on his cock with a loud sigh. I tried to get a look at her face but her dark tresses hung over her face. My breathing became ragged when she began rocking her hips into his. The two of them started panting as they fucked each other, but Sam’s eyes never left mine. _

_ “Sunny…” he whispered repeatedly, gripping onto her hips to fuck her deeper. Suddenly he began yelling my name. Something overwhelmed me and the tears fell over my cheeks without permission. I backed away as he screamed at me ferociously and I turned to run away. But no matter how hard I tried to bolt down this obscenely long hallway, I just couldn’t seem to run fast enough. And when I finally could, I found myself back in the front of the club, sobbing uncontrollably. I could feel my heart speeding up, my chest heaving as I hyperventilated, running into tables, knocking things over and waitresses, making a mess of things. I looked at the hall I ran from, backing up and hoping that I’d see Sam running after me, but he was nowhere to be found. I screamed as hard as I could but no sound could be heard, only the loud music in the speakers. I turned to run out of the club but something tripped me. I suddenly found my feet swept from under me and my head slammed hard on the corner of the stage, knocking me out— _

Suddenly, I was awake. I shot up from the bed, sweating, trying to catch my breath as a single tear fell from my eye. I looked around and ran my hands over my body, pushing my hair back to make sure I was okay. I was fine. I was in my hotel room. I let out one solid sob and I sat at the foot of my bed, my fingers gripping onto the mattress. “Fuck!” I exclaimed. I wanted to throw something. Anything. But there was nothing around that would give me that satisfaction so I punched a pillow a couple times. I put my face in my hands and grunted, shaking myself of the icky feeling that had come about. That’s when I heard a knock on my door. I stopped myself a moment and sniffled, trying to pull myself together even though my heart was still racing like I’d just run a marathon. I went to open the door and Sully stood there all bright eyed and awake. Then he got a good look at my face.

“You alright, Sunny? You don’t look so good.” He asked in a concerned tone. I gave a big sigh and shook the nerves off, putting on a big smile.

“I’m fine! I just had a weird dream, that’s all….!” I laughed as authentically as possible. I didn’t need anyone worrying about whether I could do the job or not. 

“You sure?” He winced, giving my face a once over.

“Yeah! I’m great! Let’s do this.” I said, backing into my room. I grabbed my sunglasses and shoved my feet into my black boots, closing the door behind me. “Lead the way!” 

“So I was thinkin’! 4x4 then dinner?” Sully proposed, raising a thick brow.

“YES. I’m starving.” I said linking my arm with his and we strolled along the dusty streets of the city.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Sunny’s POV_ **

Sully and I walked among the people of the city, buying snacks off of any vendors we came across. I even convinced him to split a grilled lamb brain sandwich with me. Despite knowing what it was, we actually found it pretty good with a bit of sauce. But we swore that we’d never tell anyone that we did it. We watched a group of dancers practice for a festival that would be coming up long after we’d leave but it was still great. We did a bit of shopping and bought Sully a new colorful shirt and myself an armlet. It was said to symbolize strength and virtuousness. It was hot as hell but we still had a bit of fun on the way to the rental shop. Even through the fun of it all, my head kept pounding and going back to the dream I’d had. I wasn’t sure why I kept thinking about it. So what if he slept with someone else… or a couple someone else’s. He didn’t have to answer to me. He was a free man. Lord knows he deserved it after being cooped up for so long. All of these reasons made sense but why did it hurt so much? I sighed tiredly and ran my fingers through my hair. When we arrived, I had suddenly gotten a phone call. When I checked the ID, it was Catalina’s number. My eyes lit up and I answered the phone with a relieved smile. I tapped Sully on the shoulder to tell him I was going to take a call and he nodded before heading into the garage.

“Grab me somethin’ with some color, alright?! Like see if they have red!” I called after him and he just waved me off. I meant it though. I wanted a red 4x4. “Cat! Hey, girl! What are you doin’ up? Isn’t it like 2am there?”

“ _ Oooooooh, Sunny!! _ ” She sounded as if she were on cloud nine. I knew this tone. I smiled upon hearing the happiness in her voice. After everything she’d been through lately, she deserved a bit of it.

“Dear lord, who is he?” I chuckled.

“Jesus, I met him at the farmer’s market! Well… it was more like I bumped into him and knocked absolutely  _ everything  _ outta his hands…”

“Clumsy ass.” I smirked. She just laughed and continued on.

“But anyways! Erik and I went after we dropped you off with your friend. And he’s just so….  _ oh! _ ” She exclaimed. I could practically see her grinning from ear to ear. “We went on a date and I just got home!  _ Girl… _ . I wish you could’ve seen it! I wore that flowery dress I found at the 99 cent store—”

“Oh that dress is gorgeous!” I remembered when she got that dress. It was a blue floral flouncy sleeved number with a plunging neckline and an empire waist. It stopped just above her toes so she wouldn’t trip over anything and flowed so perfectly around her hips. And I could not stress enough to her the fact that it was beautiful….  _ And ninety nine cents! _

“I know! But then he showed up in this three piece Armani suit and I just….” The more she spoke, the more I began to notice the slight slur of her words. She was definitely drunk. “I don’t know how to even describe him, Sun.”

“Indescribable is a great description.” I chuckled, leaning against the wall as I heard her talk. 

“Oh my god, it was! He was! He took me out for dinner and drinks. Sunny… I haven’t felt this way about anyone since Javier.” The moment she mentioned that urchin I rolled my eyes. Javier was an ex of hers that I was never really fond of. But he made Cat happy until he didn’t. “He brought me home and kissed me and then just left…”

“And he didn’t try nothin’?” I asked. I just wanted to make sure she was safe.

“No!” She exclaimed. I forced a laugh.

“Sounds like he’s off to a good start!” I smiled.

_ “Holy shit I wish he did though! _ ” She sighed dreamily. 

“It’s like  _ that? _ ” I was shocked. Catalina wasn’t one to… no that’s a lie. She liked men. And she tended to take anyone regardless of what they were into.

“You know I don’t give out on first dates but he was just so incredible…. I mean he just had these eyes! I don’t know. I’m gonna see him again this weekend. I’m gonna show him my world since he showed me his.”

“And that world would be?” I found myself questioning her like a mother hen. I kind of hated it. But I’d watched over her since she was 17. So of course I worried.

“He’s  _ super _ loaded. Like a CEO or something?” She said nonchalantly. My brows shot up.

“ _ Jesus, Cat!  _ You bagged a CEO?! Look at you!” I exclaimed. I was almost jealous.

“Yeah but you know I’ve never cared about money or status or whatever. Matter of fact he doesn’t even act like he’s got money!”

“Uh huh… so a down to earth rich boy. Interesting…” I said. There weren’t many men like that around.

“I’m taking him to our dim sum shop in China Town! It’s gonna be so nice!” She mewed.

“Don’t let Erik know you went without him.” I joked. And she giggled a little.

“He’ll be alright. When you come home, I want you to meet him! I think you’ll like him!”

“Uh huh… we’ll see about that.” I said begrudgingly. It took a lot for Cat’s choices in men to impress me. “I’m happy for you though! Really I am!”

“I’m sorry! I’ve been talking about me since I called! How are you doing? HOW’S INDIA?!” She said, suddenly shifting the attention to me. I forced a nervous chuckle. I felt myself grow stiff as I thought about the dream I had earlier. But it was nothing for her to worry about. Or anyone for that matter.

“India is… hot. As fuck.” I grumbled, wiping a thin sheet of sweat from my forehead with my knuckles. I found my mind wandering back to the dream again and sighed heavily, unable to take my mind off of it. But I kept off the subject. “The Street food here is amazing. You’d love it-”

“Sun, go back to that sigh.” She said. I was hoping she didn’t catch it. I guess no matter how good I was at hiding things from others, Cat would forever be the only person to see directly through my bullshit. “What’s goin’ on?” She asked, her voice laced with concern. I kicked up a big cloud of dust with my boots and bit down on my lip.

“I… It’s stupid!” I replied with a strained chuckle. “It’s literally teenaged issues.” 

“You kinda dealt with me as a teen. Let me help you.” She cooed, genuinely. I looked up at the clouds in the bright blue sky, bouncing my foot against the ground. I began to roll my eyes as I reluctantly spoke.

“I had a stupid dream. Or a nightmare... I mean it was stupid! It wasn’t real…” I tried to tell myself that all evening but it was just so hard.

“If it’s not real, then tell me about it. Unless you’re being paranoid again.” She teased, calling me out. I laughed.

“I could be…” I said, scrunching my nose.

“I always tell you nightmares manifest from your fears. So tell me what’s up.” She demanded. Even drunk she somehow managed to be my personal therapist as she had been for years. Compared to what I told Erik, Catalina knew everything about what went down between Sam and I in Libertalia. I looked around before bearing my feelings to her.

“.... I had a dream that Sam cheated on me. Well not cheated! But he… I saw him with someone else. People have been tellin’ me he fucked other girls… He even admitted it but it’s not like he’s my boyfriend. I don’t know why I’m so bothered by it… It shouldn’t bother me.” This was a horrible feeling. It felt like my world was crashing around me. Like everything I thought I knew about myself was changing and I couldn’t stop it. Like I was becoming dependent. And I promised myself I wouldn’t let myself get swept up in men anymore. That I wouldn’t let them use me anymore… but Sam was different.

“Y’know… I don’t fully know this Sam guy but…. you have feelings for him. I know that much. I’ve never seen you beam about a guy like this for as long as I’ve known you and this guy comes along and you’re just… ‘Sunny’.” She made a pun on my name and I burst into a nervous fit of laughter. The pun made me laugh but the point she was getting to made me nervous. “It’s okay that it bothered you. You’re human.”

“Cat, I haven’t felt like this since… ugh. I don’t do this! I don’t just  _ like _ people!” I thought back to the first time I ever loved someone. And the way he hurt me…. that type of betrayal was enough to keep me from wanting to start up anything with anyone.

“Look, I had a great night with this guy and I don’t know how it’s gonna play out. And I’m terrified. But it’s okay to be scared. And to be vulnerable for once. There’s no fun in being closed off. Especially with the life you live.” She murmured.

“I guess so… but Erik… I know he doesn’t say it but he cares about me. More than he should. I could hurt him.” 

“Erik is a big boy. He’ll be fine. It’ll hurt but he’ll be fine.” She began to whisper her words. “Emotions are weird… and dumb. But we have them! And we gotta work with what we got.” I smiled to myself. My little Kitty Cat is all grown up. Even in her drunken state, she managed to get my thoughts in order.

“Since when did you get to be so wise.” I asked, proudly.

“I’ve always been wise. You’ve just been busy.” She said matter of factly.

“Well I apologize!” I smirked. Suddenly, I heard two loud honks behind me. When I turned around, Sully was pulling out of the garage with a magnet red 4x4. My eyes grew at the sight of it and I became very excited. “Holy shit! Cat I love you but I have to go. Good luck with your new guy and drink some water please. Drunky.”

“I take offense to that.” She drunkenly mumbled.

“Drink your water.”

“Bye Sun! Good Luck with Sam and I hope you find the treasure!” She whined. We said our goodbyes and hung up. I felt my load lighten a bit and I shoved my phone back into my pocket as I walked over to hop into the 4x4.

“Equipped with a winch?” I asked.

“Well I guess I’ve learned to spring for the winch. But  _ this time _ , I also sprung for suspension. Where you’re goin’ you’re gonna need it!” Sully told me as he revved up the car. “Let’s go eat! I’m starving!” He yelled over the engine. And with that he began to drive us around the city to the nearest restaurant.

  
  


The next day, Sully and I went to purchase some essentials. A spare tire, extra gasoline, whatever tools I needed to fix up the 4x4 should it take any damage; then we took the car into a different part of the city for this boat. It wasn’t as nice as the part of Karnataka we’d just left. This place was full of poverty and scared families in certain parts of the town, crawling with Indian police officers. Some parts were blocked off with chain fences, keeping them in zones like animals. There were vendors selling garments, pottery, and knock off purses trying to make a few bucks for their families; it was a saddening. As the day drilled on, any time I wanted to help someone, Sully would just tell me to keep to myself. It hurt that I couldn’t do anything for these people. They were suffering. The day grew a little darker as we drove between alleys and such to get to a shaded end of the harbor. One that led to a channel throughout the city. I was about to enter the gritty part of the job, dealing with shady characters.

“Now I say this to you because I care about you... Keep your smart mouth to yourself while I deal with this guy.” He told me straight up. My jaw dropped and my eyes widened as a laugh got caught in my throat. 

“I don’t know what to say.” I chuckled in amusement.

“Nothing.  _ Please  _ say nothing. He doesn’t really take too well to strongly opinionated women. Or women in general. Just uh... hold off on the ass kickin’. If you’re quiet, he’ll just ignore you.” He warned me. I raised my brow and chewed the inside of my cheeks.

“Oh great. A misogynist. Why didn’t you just grab the boat yourself then?”

“Because if things get hairy, I might need some backup.” He said simply as he hopped out of the car. I was flattered that he’d think I was good enough to even be considered as backup. “Also, we’re gonna need you to sail it back to the fishing harbor tonight. You’ll be on your own from there. You find Chloe and you  _ stick together. _ ” He told me like an overly cautious father, wagging his finger at me.

“Aye, Captain.” I nodded with a short salute.

With that, we approached the harbor, a small fleet of boats sat docked at the piers. Sitting in a lawn chair under a terribly patched up umbrella and smoking a hand rolled cigarette was a long limbed, lanky fellow. He was a younger man, probably early 30s. His black hair curled up and back off of his face, a thick beard gracing his face and a gold hoop pierced the nostril of his long hooked nose. It needed a trim but other than that it was a good look for him. He wore a thin white tank top and a bright pink kimono with yellow flowers, his brown tartan pants mismatching the whole look. It honestly looked like he just woke up and came to his post. As we walked down the stairs, I decided to just stay posted up on the wall nearby while Sully went ahead. The man leaned back on his seat, listening to music on a small old radio when the other man grunted.

“Samanth!” Sully called to catch his attention. The man opened one eye and smiled widely at him, displaying a single gold tooth amongst the others.

“Victor Sullivan! As I live and breathe!” The man exclaimed with a thick Indian accent. He embraced him in a friendly hug as Sully chuckled, patting him on the back. He barely paid me any mind. He just rolled his eyes when I waved, literally just trying to be polite. I scoffed and shook it off as he continued to devote his attention to the older gentleman. “How are you, my friend? What can I do for you?” He asked him.

“Well my pal here is lookin’ for a boat. I told her you were the guy to buy from.” Sully said mentioning me with a thumb briefly pointed in my direction. Samanth looked over his shoulder and gave me a disapproving look.

“You let your woman drive boat?” He asked in disgust. I raised a brow and bit my tongue. ‘ _ His woman? _ ’ I thought, trying to keep myself from speaking.

“If another man could do it, I would’ve brought them instead.” Sully shrugged, looking back at me with a short apologetic expression. I frowned as I continued watching their interactions. He scratched his beard and hummed as he narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously.

“What kind of boat you looking for?” He asked. Sully looked back at me awaiting my decision. I scanned the boats lined up on the docks when I noticed a beat up narrowboat with an extended deck. It was nothing much but it’d get the job done. I pointed in its direction and Sully nodded before turning back to him.

“That hunk o’ junk on the market?” He asked him.

“Yes, yes! For you because you’re friend of Samanth… $25,000.” He told him and Sully’s eyes grew the size of plates.

“There’s no way in hell that piece of garbage is 25,000 dollars! I’m not payin’ for that-” Sully exploded, throwing his arms in the air and starting to walk away. He threw me a wink and I had to keep the smile from growing on my face. He was haggling him to lower the price.

“No, no-wait! I’ll give it to you for 20,000!” He said. Sully stopped and looked over his shoulder.

“$10,000!”

“$15,000.” Samanth countered. Sully gave a big sigh and shrugged.

“I don’t know if me and my woman can do what we need to do with a price like that-” He baited him. Samanth fidgeted a moment before speaking again.

“$12,000! That’s the price and I can go no lower. My boss will be angry with me if he is not paid properly.” He told him. Sully looked back at me and gave me a smirk before turning back to him and giving him a strong handshake.

“$12,000 will do just nicely. Thank you, sir.” Sully patted him on the back so hard Samanth almost got the wind knocked out of him. But he laughed boisterously anyway, trying to regain a sense of manhood. I rolled my eyes and groaned. I just wanted to get this boat and go.

“Come see it for yourself, Victor!” He said leading him down the pier, not even acknowledging me. I sighed and followed anyway as I pulled my phone to send Chloe a quick update.

**Me:** _ I’ve got the car and the boat _

It was simple. There’d be time for conversation on the job. She sent me back a simple heart emoji.

**Chloe** :  _ Start heading towards the Western Ghats around midnight. See you tonight! _

‘ _ Midnight?! _ ’ I thought. “Jesus H….” I groaned as I hung back and let Sully examine the boat. Everything turned out to be just fine. Now we just had to get the 4x4 on the boat and sail back to the fishing harbor near our hotel.

  
  


Waiting for midnight was trying for me. I was anxious to get started on one hand. But on the other…. I just wanted to sleep. I wanted to stop thinking about that nightmare. I wanted to move on. I damn near flew out the door when the clock struck 12. On my way out, Sully made sure I had everything I needed. Towels, blankets, spare clothes, extra rope, first aid, snacks and water... I grinned and told him I’d be fine, kissing his cheek and hugging him tightly.

“I’ll be waitin’ right here for ya.” He told me as he waved me off.

I wrapped a beautiful scarf around my head that I’d bought from the vendors and grabbed my bag that I’d packed for the journey ahead. Before I knew it, I was sailing the narrow boat down the river. The water late at night was peaceful and quiet. With the exception of the small radio near the wheel. I hummed to the tunes of the 80s for an hour. That was the only station I felt like hearing at the time. After a while, I did turn it off though. For fear that I might get stopped by pirates. Not that I wouldn’t be able to wipe them out no problem but I wanted to be as safe and as inconspicuous as possible. As I began passing by the police controlled areas of the city, I sighed with a heavy heart. I truly had no idea what I was getting myself into. I could hear gunshots and bombs in the distance. 

I tried to stay as far away from the city as I could but eventually I had to sail the canal on the outskirts that would lead me to a river towards the Ghats. Suddenly, I could hear a few pitter patters of rain droplets on the tin roof and I groaned loudly as it suddenly began to rain harder. I had to stop the boat a moment for I had forgotten to cover the 4x4 with tarp. The sky was cloudy and the wind made it much more difficult for me to secure the tarp on my own. Thunder boomed as a streak of lightning cracked across the sky. The rain was beginning to soak my clothes and hair as I tried to work as quickly as possible. Suddenly, there was a boom louder than the thunder that caused myvto nearly jump out of my skin. Jet planes flew in V formation over the city dropping bombs and I watched as the buildings were reduced to flames and rubble. 

“Jesus…” My heart broke and a few tears had fallen, mixing in with the rain water. There had to be  _ something  _ I could do. But that was too much for me to handle alone. So I left the thought alone and wiped my eyes, focusing on fitting the tarp over the car. Just as I had successfully secured the car, gunshots sounded nearby. I squealed, ducking to hit the deck and crawl towards the end of the boat as bullets ricocheted off the metal walls. A bullet happened to graze my shoulder with a quick sting of heat and I clenched it as I moved to the bag of ammunition that Sully and I had managed to purchase within the city and pulled out a pistol. I took cover near the window and aimed my gun to the rooftops of the building near me when I noticed the figures of two women hopping across them as a handful of men chased them down with machine guns. As one of the women shouted, I could make out a familiar voice. I sat up and circled around to the open doorway and strained my eyes to look a little closer. Chloe Frazer was going from building to building with a partner in escape. Immediately, I began to take aim at the men chasing them and took them out one by one. But a couple more men showed up right behind them. I tried my best to keep them off their backs from a distance and when she finally noticed where the shots were coming from, she began to run in our direction. I waved to her shouting her name.

“Take the wire down!” I yelled, pointing to a sturdy string of lights that hung over the channel. She and her partner did exactly that, flying over the water and the boat itself. The two landed on a weak platform on the other side of the boat and it broke from the wall under their weight, sending them tumbling down to be swept up by the water. I ran to the other side and looked over the railing to see where they’d fallen, putting my hand out for anybody to grab hold. “Chloe!!” I shouted at the water as the boat began moving on its own. It too was being pushed along by the water. Nobody answered for a moment until I could see her head appear from the water. She gasped for air, grabbing hold of my wrist and I pulled her up onto the boat. Appearing behind her was a face I never thought I’d have to see again. Despite all instincts that told me to leave her, I put a hand out and pulled her up anyway. As gunshots began to ring out again and I hauled ass to the front of the boat to sail us out as quickly as the boat would allow us...


	8. Chapter 8

**__ **

**_Sunny’s POV_ **

I stood on the rusty boat docked by a massive tree, ready to take us down a calming river as I went through my bag to grab sunscreen and rub it over my arms. The rain had finally settled and even though the sun hadn’t come up yet, I knew that when it did, you could bet your ass it was going to be a scorcher. I made sure everything was where it was supposed to be and that we had everything we needed. I double checked the cherry red 4x4, as I had done ten times before that already. ‘ _ Stop it, Sunny. The tires are aired up and it’s not goin’ anywhere… _ ’ I thought with a sigh as I withdrew my hands from the taught bungee cords that held it in place and I stepped out to the deck on the back of the boat to look at the scenery, hoping it would calm me some. My nerves were already getting the best of me for several reasons. But I couldn’t let it distract me from the job at hand. I watched the sun turn the skies from a dark blue to a pale peach, stars still piercing the sky when I heard a creak off to the side of me. I turned my head to be met with a pair of sparkling grey eyes surrounded by striking dark lashes. A dark haired woman with tanned skin and a tall nose approached the boat, an excited bright smile playing on her face as she saw me.

“Sunflower  _ bloody _ Spurrs!” She exclaimed, holding her arms out to me. My eyes lit up and a smile pulled on my lips as I briskly rushed to her to hug her slim but curvy frame. She towered over me as we rocked in each other’s embrace. She pulled away with her hands still rooted to my shoulders as she gave me a once over. “Geez, you look good! You cut your hair!” She exclaimed. The last time she saw me was when I was in my twenties with long tight curls. It had been years since I’d seen her. Years that I didn’t mean to let go on for so long. We were very close once. I would’ve said hello  _ the first  _ time I saw her but it was a little hard to do with an army on her ass. I remembered how difficult it was pulling her from the rough waters in the hard rain.

“Chloe Frazer.  _ Jesus _ , girl, how ya been?!” I said in an excited but hushed tone. It was early and we were still trying to be inconspicuous to those men from before.

“I’ve been decent.” She said, placing her hands on her hips and nodding. “Had a few jobs here and there.  _ And some with Cutter! _ He asked about you, y’know.” She told me with a raised brow and a teasing smirk. My heart skipped for a moment as she looked at me. I’d almost forgotten how beautiful she was. I hummed in appreciation as I remembered nothing but good things about Charlie Cutter. Tall, rugged, and brawny but still he was the sweetest and most gentle man you’d ever meet. Wasn’t too bad in the sack either...

“How is he? I haven’t seen him since he broke his leg… _ that idiot _ .” I remembered when he got trapped on higher ground by fire and his only way down was to just jump. He had balls though…

“He’s doing well. He’s on a job in Russia right now.” She said as she walked into the boat to put her bag and dirt soiled traditional garbs on the bench.

“Looking for  _ what? _ ” I giggled in surprise. I’d always wanted to go see the Red Square. This would’ve been his first expedition that he’d led.

“Lenka Panteleyev’s lost stash.” She said.

“Still?! Didn’t people stop looking for that like  _ years _ ago? I heard they kept comin’ up with a bunch of criminal shit.” I grumbled, crossing a leg over the other.

“Yes  _ but _ our dear Charles found a monastery and a few other leads in Saint Petersburg.” She grinned, proudly.

“Good luck to him!” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. I was happy for him. “So Sam told me he was doing recon?”

“Not exactly. He’s more of a decoy. He’s playing “expert” on Hoysala culture for our competitor-”

“I’m sorry-  _ what?!  _ You put him in rebel ranks for a warlord  _ on purpose?! _ ” I exclaimed. A flash of worry crashed over me and my heart started racing. He failed to mention just exactly what his role was in all this.

“ _ Yes _ but he’s gonna be  _ fine _ … he’s just buying us some time.” She began nonchalantly.

“And what if he gets caught up?” I questioned.

“ _He’s_ _fine!_ Why are you so worried about him anyways?” She asked, narrowing her dusty eyes at me. I gulped. I didn’t want to put too many personal things into the job. So I shrugged and changed the subject.

“You never told me how you met Sam?” I said, turning on the mini coffee pot on board to make myself a cup. She bit her lip and smiled, picking at her fingernails. My smile faltered a tad as she chuckled mischievously.

“ _ Well… _ ” she began. I didn’t like the sound of it so far and she’d yet to tell me anything. “I was looking for a team and Sullivan called me saying he had somebody for the job. A mysterious long lost Drake brother. I met him that weekend to talk about the job and to brush up on his culture and uh…. After a couple of beers and a few glasses of whiskey later...” she smirked, wiggling her brows.

I could literally feel my heart tear. The expression on my face fell and I turned quickly back to the coffee pot, hoping she hadn’t seen my face. “That man  _ really  _ is a talented one in bed, I’ll tell you that much!” I heard her giggle girlishly. My fingers gripped the counter tight as I tried to fight back the urge to just cry. Of all the people…. He chose her. I took a deep breath to calm myself and watched as the coffee finished brewing before me. I poured myself a bit of unaltered coffee, feeling the warmth from the drink inside the paper cup as she pressed on. “So how do you know Sam? He’s the one who brought you on here.” I had to think and choose my words carefully. Ultimately, I decided to tell her the same thing I told Erik.

“I uh…. Nate-o called. He asked for my help to ‘save’ his brother.” I threw up air quotations. I knew there’d be more time to explain on the journey ahead. “We got on like a house on fire! Couldn’t stand each other at first but… we just kinda grew on each other. We kept in touch.” I said, dancing around the truth as best as I could. 

“You were at Libertalia?” She asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Sam didn’t mention it?” I asked. Of course he didn’t.

“He sorta… talked around it. Like it held something deep for him, y’know?” She said, pulling a small round platelet with images of Indian gods on it. I nodded silently as I watched her play with it a while and give up; repeat. “Look... about Sam. Don’t mention anything to  _ her  _ about his involvement. I don’t need her losing her cool on this one. The moment she finds out, that’s it. Gig’s done.” Just as I had turned to speak, the air suddenly changed and I heard another creak. Chloe and I turned to see Nadine Ross standing in the doorway, her fingers curled around her bag tightly as she noticed me. Her bountiful curls pulled back tight into a ponytail, clad in a simple grey tee shirt and khaki cargos. My chest tightened as a silence washed over the boat. She was with Chloe when I plucked her out of the channel. If I wasn’t trying to not get shot myself, there would’ve been some sort of refusal. A plethora of feelings began to swell inside as we stared at each other. I couldn’t just forget what happened just six months ago…

“Sunny…” She said, her head held high as she entered the boat. She dropped her bag on the bench opposite of Chloe and her posture seemed to stiffen.

“What are you doin’ here, Nadine?” I asked in a low tone. Then I turned to Chloe. “What is she doin’ here?” Chloe raised her hands defensively.

“For the record, I had no idea that you were in Libertalia the same time that she was. She’s here because she knows our enemy better than either of us so she’s going to handle him.” She told me. I looked at her shaking my head in disbelief as a slight laugh escaped my lips.

“This is  _ sooo _ six ways fucked from Sunday…” I laughed in annoyance as I sipped my coffee.

“You’re telling me.” Nadine replied, dropping her bag on the bench opposite Chloe. The audacity...

“Y’know, you don’t get to act like a bitch, Nadine. Not after all the shit you pulled with Adler. You damn near  _ killed _ my friends!”

“And I should’ve finished the job on that damn boat!” She snapped back. My nostrils flared in a flash of anger. 

“This is such bullshit.” I commented with an unamused chuckle. Chloe sat back in her seat and huffed, blowing her bangs off of her face.

“Oh great…” she grumbled, continuing to fiddle with the small mechanism in her hands.

“This isn’t gonna work, Frazer—”

“ _ It’s gonna have to, Nadine!  _ We’re already here, money’s been funded, people have died... We’re in this now whether you like it or not. So whatever issues you two have with each other, hash it out now. Before we actually have to start trusting each other with our bloody lives.” Chloe growled at us before bringing her attention back to her trinket. Nadine sucked her teeth and crossed her muscular arms over her chest and shook her head. I narrowed my eyes at her and scoffed before setting my coffee down, shaking my head.

“We need to get goin’. So we can get ahead of these guys…” I mumbled as I walked out the back opening to untie the rope from the tree.

  
  


We still had a ways to go until we reached the Ghats. The boat ride was quiet for the most part. Which was good because I had a lot to think about. Chloe and Sam…. ‘ _ Really? _ ’ I thought as my eyes started to sting again. I sniffled and shook the feelings off. I watched as a flock of birds flew low across the glassy waters, a light fog beginning to roll over. I tried my best to tune out Nadine and Chloe’s conversation earlier and focus on the peaceful sounds of nature around me. I sipped my coffee and set it on the dash in front of me as I steered us around. Coming up behind me, I could hear a set of heavy footsteps. I looked behind me briefly to see Chloe approach and lean on the railing next to me, the gold platelet still in her hands. We were silent for a moment. And while I couldn’t find the need to break that silence, she obviously did. She chewed on her lip and tapped her fingers on the rusty rails before looking at me.

“How long have we got left?” She asked, breaking the ice.

“Um…. about an hour… til we hit land.” I answered curtly.

“Great!” She smiled at me. I didn’t give much of a reaction back; nothing but a very brief smile. She continued on. “Y’know… despite whatever Nadine may think, I’m glad you’re here. It’s been far too long since we’ve seen each other and I don’t want the first time in a while to be like this.” I looked up at her a second as I adjusted my grip on the wheel and pursed my lips, turning my gaze back to the beautiful landscape before me. I could’ve said a couple of different things. Instead, I just…. because why not?

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have blown up like that…” I sighed.

“Personally, in your case, you deserve to be angry. I heard she shot you.  _ Twice. _ ” She said, taking in the view.

“She only shot me the once. Though I’m sure she would’ve a second time if she was given the chance…” I corrected her and Chloe chuckled a little. I grinned a moment, actually enjoying her being near me for a while before remembering the situation I was in. My smile faded quickly and awkwardly. “Listen… I’ll push my grudge with her to the side for now. Let’s just find this tusk and get paid.” I said briefly. She raised a thick brow at me and nodded in agreement. I didn’t mean to sound harsh about it. On top of this thing with Nadine, I still couldn’t look at Chloe the same anymore. She pursed her lips and tapped the platelet in her hands before fiddling with it once more. “So what is that thing?” I asked, changing the subject.

“We think it’s some sort of key…” she said, staring at it closely as she tinkered with it.

“Where’d you get it?” I asked.

“Stole it from Asav.” She answered simply, her eyes never leaving the platelet.

“That’s our bad guy?” I asked as I turned the boat as we approached a curve in the river.

“Yep. Handsome guy, actually. Soft spoken. Nadine will tell you not to let those things fool you but so far, he doesn’t seem like  _ that _ much of a threat.” She said nonchalantly. Even I knew that was an understatement.

“Chloe, when I found you, the two of you were running from a whole group of dudes and getting shot at! Like not just ‘shot at’ but SHOT AT!”

“All part of the job! She worries too much anyhow—” She rebuttals as she clicked along the edge of the piece and suddenly it expanded. Chloe gasped as it undid itself in her hands. “ _ Well looky here… _ ” She pressed the center of the key and the two carved elephant heads pulled apart from each other. She pointed at a few details along the border and began dropping facts. First, a trident. Then, a bow and arrow. Lastly, an axe. “Ganesh’s weapon...Parashurama… and the axe given to him by Shiva…”

“It’s the Great Battle…” I hummed. I remembered reading about this in my long hours of studying with Sam. “That’s when Ganesh lost his tusk, right?”

“Well… I’m proud of you.” She said pinching my arm lightly before turning to rest her back on the railing. I looked at her and watched the gears in her head turn as she stared at the key.

“What are you thinkin’?” I asked.

“I’m guessing… if we find the symbols… we find the tusk.” She said carefully. Chloe was never one to base off facts. She thrived on guesstimates. Never steered her wrong though.

“Alright, Chlo… I’m followin’ you.” I said with a long sigh. “You really know a lot about all this…”

“You can thank my dad. Hindu myths were his thing.” She stared out at nothing in particular as her mind wandered.

“Well… I’m sure he’s proud.”

“Heh...sure.” She said in a melancholic tone. I looked over at her as she looked to her feet, rocking her weight to and fro. She was always rather cryptic when it came to her personal life. “Sun’s gonna be up any minute. You think this boat can go any faster?” She asked me. I sighed and nodded.

“I’m sure there’s a half speed above what I’m goin’. Sorry. She ain’t very fast…” I told her, speeding as quick as the boat would allow.

“Welp, do what you can. I’m gonna go get ready.” She said, twirling the platelet between her fingers and tucking it into her back pocket before going back inside. I sighed. It took a lot for me to stand a conversation with her now. But I tried to look on the bright side. I'd soon get to punch people for therapy.

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

**_Sunny’s POV_ **

I stopped the boat near the end of the river and yawned. It was a long night and becoming an even longer morning. The skies were blue and the air chilled a bit from the rain. That just meant it was going to be humid and muggy later. ‘ _ Ugh and the mosquitoes are gonna be out… _ ’ I thought. It was beautiful out though. The landscape was nothing but large rocky mountains embedded in a lush rainforest. Fog rolled off of the mountain tops and hung in the skies a little. Everything was so green and big and open. The animals around were the kind I’d only ever seen in books or movies. The grass seemed dewy and fresh. All of these beautiful things, and the only thought running through my mind was ‘ _ Fuck…. I’m gonna get my clothes all wet… _ ’. I groaned and pulled my cigarettes from my fanny pack and took one for myself. I lit it and put my things away, zipping up my pack and turning the pocket to my backside. I stalked across the boat to dock it and begin freeing the 4x4 of its confines. I let the cigarette hang between my lips, unhooking the wheels and Nadine suddenly came out of the boat, just standing there. I had nothing to say to her. I looked up at her for a second and then continued with the tires.

“Spurrs. I need to talk.” She said in a demanding tone.

“Ain’t nobody stoppin’ ya.” I answered coldly, rounding the car as I focused all my attention there. She scoffed and crossed her arms.

“Y’know what— screw it.” She turned to leave and I looked up at her as she began to walk away.

“What makes you think I have anything to say to you? Huh?” I said, standing up as I tossed the bungee cords in the backseat. I narrowed my eyes at her, clenching my jaw to keep myself from making less than savory comments. She looked over her shoulder with a scowl.

“Listen. You don’t have to like me. I’m perfectly fine with us hating each other for all eternity. But let’s be professionals about this. I mean… you  _ can  _ manage that, can’t you?” She was right. As much as I hated to admit it, she was. My expression remained like stone as I puffed on my cigarette. I sniffled and ashed it randomly before speaking.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll do my job and you do yours. Maybe we’ll all end up a few dollars richer.” I seethed, standing to fold up the tarp, smoke exiting my nostrils as I walked around her. She just scoffed and got into the 4x4 passenger seat. I grabbed the bag of guns I brought and put them in the backseat, passively looking at her as Chloe exited the boat. She placed her hands on her hips, anxious to begin the adventure.

“Are we ready, ladies?” She asked us.

“Yup.” I said slapping the side of the car as I leaned against it.

“Got everything we need?”

“Looks that way.” Nadine said, looking over the backseat and into the trunk.

“ _ Bathroom? _ ”

“You’re a whole clown. Get in the car!” I chuckled, tossing her the keys. She let out a giggle and started up the 4x4.

“How’s the terrain out here?”

“Well…. Rocky…  _ very _ rocky.” She told us.

“How fun.” I grumbled, jumping into the backseat.

“I know right!” She replied with a bright smile, her voice dripping with sarcasm…. sort of.

  
  


An hour or two had gone by and suddenly I found myself babysitting the 4x4. We were driving about for a while but Nadine, having not seen any signs of this Asav guy along the way, was beginning to get a little antsy. Paranoid even. Chloe- like me- on the other hand, was taking the glass half full approach; That perhaps we had the jump on him. It was when I agreed with her that she then began questioning whether Chloe  _ really _ knew where she was going or how we were getting there. Even logically explaining to her, she didn’t believe. Chloe’s judgement she trusted. She could give fuck all about mine. I would’ve said something but my friend just gave me that look. So I played ball. She wanted to climb some cliff to get a physical view and layout of the land.

I sat on the hood smoking, staring at the flowers that had grown in a patch near a massive boulder. They were huge and the petals were pointed towards the sun all bright and pink. My Ma would’ve loved them. I gave a somber sigh in her memory, exhaling a bit of smoke as I did, and looked around; acknowledging a much needed self check-in. I was in India. A place I’d never been before. Sure I had a couple personal problems but I couldn’t let that get to me. ‘ _ I just gotta get back in that mindset... _ ’ I thought, nodding as if I voiced the words aloud. “Yep!  _ Just _ like Libertalia… only it’s Chloe and not Nate, Nadine is on  _ our _ side— I think… and  _ Sam _ … is nowhere to be found….. No noise… it’s just nice and quiet…. Quiet.” I told myself. And then suddenly I realized. It’s what I’d been wanting all along. Some peace and quiet. A slick grin crawled across my lips and clapped to myself a moment in excitement. “ _ Yes. _ No, yeah! This is good! This is…  _ great! _ ” With that in mind, I adjusted my sunglasses and leaned against the windshield, soaking up the sun. I took a deep breath as I smoked and began to calm myself for the first time since I’d stepped foot in India. I let myself listen to the sound of the water crashing against each other either which way, the birds in the trees singing their morning songs, and the cicadas…. doing whatever cicadas did. I was just beginning to center myself when I heard the sound of wood creaking. I opened my eyes a tad and looked over at the bridge the girls had just crossed; only to see Nadine cross and the bridge breaking in twos, falling down into the foggy abyss. Chloe still stood on the other side with no way over. I sat up on my elbows and made a face.

“Chloe! Are you good?!” I shouted to her.

“Yeah! My tree bridge broke! But it’s fine…. I can find another way around!” She answered. I knew she would’ve rather taken the bridge. But when was treasure hunting ever easy for either of us. It was the universe we lived in. Nadine stood at the end of the cliff with her hands on her hips, her eyes never moving from Chloe as she worked her way across somehow. She was a smart woman so I knew she was more than capable of making it over. Looking at Nadine though, I felt nothing. I’m not going to say I hate hating people but… I just think it’s easier to have more allies than enemies. But an enemy becoming my ally was something new for me. That’s a level of trust that needed to be built up. Luckily today there would be plenty of opportunities for her to do so. ‘ _ I’ll just keep an eye on you for now… But I’ll behave. _ ’ I thought. I sat up and hopped off the car, strutting over to stand next to her and watched over Chloe.

“So what’s she sayin’?” I asked. I just wanted to hear it. She sighed before speaking.

“You were right. Both of you were. She said that we weren’t among modern work so we were on the right track… And not too far from the city was the Hoysala Empire.” She answered reluctantly. A smile slowly cracked on my face and she just shook her head.

“I  _ do _ know what I’m talking about sometimes, Nadine. If this whole trust thing is gonna work, you’re gonna have to accept what I say sometimes.” I said. 

“I’m aware. But this isn’t your area of expertise. When it is, I’ll come find you.” She told me before going over to the other side of the cliff to help Chloe up. I stood watching them and nodding my head and biting my tongue . This was going to be a difficult job.

We drove along the wet grass and stones that made for excellent ramps, cliff sides of mountains. It was a beautiful place. We sat in silence for a while before Nadine started up again with her inquiries.

“So dumb question…” she began.

“So much for that.” Chloe remarked, winking at me through the rear view. Nadine rolled her eyes as I gave a slight chuckle and continued admiring the landscape, listening to their conversation.

“How do you know the tusk is still there?” She asked.

“Well it would be in a museum by now right? And I haven’t seen any Hoysala expeditions.” Chloe answered.

“I’d never even heard of the Hoysala til’ now.” I chimed in.

“That’s the fault of their last king, really. Young, reckless, flaunted his empire’s wealth… built a  _ new _ capital to house the tusk. And it led the Persians right to their doorstep.”she explained.

“And now us.” The way Nadine spoke was as if she were calculating everything as it came up. Not that it was a bad thing but it was most certainly annoying and made it hard to enjoy the job. We drove around for another hour until we came across what seemed to be a gate.

“Hoysala ruins…” Chloe mumbled, stopping the car. She tended to do this beautiful mind shit like Nathan but a little more often… almost all the time. I could see the facts exploding in her head as she hopped out and looked around. We got out and followed her to examine the gate. I groaned as water began to sink into my boots and socks. Everything about this job was going to be bothersome. We climbed the front step as Chloe let her hands trace over the carvings on the wall.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“The old capitals… Halebidu and Belur…”

“I thought this was Ganesh and Shiva?” Nadine asked, pointing at the carved likenesses on either side of the cities.

“Oh you’ve been paying attention?” Chloe smirked at her and Nadine seemed to turn a little red around the ears. If I didn’t know any better I’d say she made her nervous. I didn’t think anything made her nervous. But Chloe tended to have that effect on people. “Ganesh was the guardian of Halebidu, the newer of the Hoysala capitals and Shiva-”

“For Belur. Old capital…” I completed her sentence, thinking aloud. “It’s beautiful…” I said, looking at the moss covered stone work.

“Not much of a defensive wall though…” Nadine commented. I winced. I supposed the military thinking doesn’t leave the mind so easily.

“Hmm. Sculptors’ quarters by the look of it.” Chloe hummed, playing with one of the beaded necklaces around her neck. “We’re still on the outskirts…”

“Didn’t take you for an archeologist.” Nadine crossed her arms with an impressive expression.

“That would be my dad, actually. I’m just a thief, remember?” Chloe retorted, sticking her hand through the slight opening before up to check out the weak barricade. She had a tendency to downplay her accomplishments. I don’t know why. She was a talented and smart woman. Of all the people I’d met when I started this lifestyle, Chloe was the one I looked up to the most. Which is another reason why it hurt to find out about her and Sam.

“The 4x4 come equipped with a winch, dear?” Chloe asked, looking back at me.

“Of course.” I answered. I had learned my lesson since Libertalia.

“Nice. We’ll make short work of these gates…”

“What- you’re just going to pull them down?” Nadine asked as if it was way too simple a solution.

“Pretty much, yeah. Unless you’ve got a better idea.” I said, hopping off of the platform to retrieve the winch.

“Or dynamite.” Chloe added. Nadine shook her head and shrugged.

“This is your gig.” She said to her. With that I pulled the cable to the gates and wrapped it around the barricade before clipping it in place. Suddenly, I saw a handful of men appear from the ruins next to us.

“Now, brothers!” an Insurgent yelled and the others came through. 

“Frazer! Spurrs! It’s an ambush!” Nadine shouted to us as we all began to take cover. 

“Shit!” Chloe grunted. I squealed as a bullet flew by me and hit the gate in front of me before running to take cover near Chloe. I wasn’t expecting to get into any fighting so early in the morning. Nadine just went straight into it, snatching a gun from one of the men and throwing an impressive slew of kicks to their faces. I pulled the Fossa from the holster on my leg and began to take aim at a few men. In the midst of all the action, I saw Nadine get caught up. A man who was a whole head and shoulders above her had her in a chokehold and she was fighting against him to be free. I watched a moment. Thinking that if she’d been killed, would it have really mattered. Would it really affect the job much if she wasn’t around. Her life was in my hands… Hearing her shout for help, I was pulled from my dark thoughts and I made my decision on the fly. I took aim at the man’s head and pulled the trigger as a spurt of bullets pierced his skull and set her free. Chloe took out the last three men with skillful headshots and that was the end of that. I stared at Nadine with a twisted expression. Anger at her and disappointment in myself. The fact that I even thought about letting another person die when I could do something about it really messed with me. But she just nodded in my direction as she hopped off of the ruins.

“Thanks for that.” She said to me. I narrowed my eyes at her and huffed as I tucked away my gun.

“Yeah. Whatever.” I said staley, starting towards the 4x4. Nadine chewed on her lip and followed us into the car.

“Now! Where were we?” Chloe sang, jumping into the driver’s seat. With that, she put the car in reverse, water and mud kicking up at the spin of the wheels. It took a moment but the longer we pulled, the weaker the barricade. Instead of it snapping, we ended up pulling the whole thing down. Nadine stared at me through the side view mirror as we continued driving through the rainforest in a kind of awkward silence again. As always, Chloe was the one to break it.

“You two are awfully quiet.” She commented.

“Sleepy still.” I lied, yawning. She chuckled.

“After all that, you’re still tired? Jesus, Spurrs.” She grinned before turning to Nadine. “And what’s your excuse?”

“Nothing. Just surprised is all. I figured you’d be more of a ‘Leave No Trace’ type when it came to Indian ruins.” She answered.

“Sentimentality in this line of work? It’ll get you killed.” Chloe said rather simply. I smirked, looking at the scenery as we drove through dried up, rocky ravines and muddy hills. Suddenly, Nadine put a hand on Chloe’s shoulder.

“Wait- stop!” She said and Chloe pulled on the handbrake, slowing us down. I leaned over into the front of the car so I could get a better look. More of Asav’s insurgents were posted up all over the area.

“Jesus… how many men does this guy have?” I groaned.

“A lot more than this, I can tell you that much.” Nadine answered. I sucked my teeth and scoffed.

“This is a lot… like this… is overkill.” I sat back in my seat and began to open up the back of guns.

“Well I, for one, am quite flattered he’s taking us so seriously.” Chloe said hopping out of the 4x4. She had an odd way of finding the bright side in literally almost everything. I pulled out a few machine guns for everyone and a silenced pistol for myself.

“Mind if I run through for a second? Thin out the herd?” I offered, holding up the pistol.

“After you.” Chloe smirked, opening my door for me like the gentlewoman she was. I chuckled and crouched low beneath the tall grass, starting ahead of the others. As long as I could get a good view of a person, I’d be able to get a nice clean shot. Bodies would fall and no one would be the wiser.

“Alright, Sunflower…” I said to myself. “Don’t miss.”


	10. Chapter 10

**_Sunny’s POV_ **

“We are….right about here. I can mark it up as we go along.” Chloe said, pointing to the bottom of the wrinkled map in her hands. I stood up in the 4x4 to look at the view. Clearly in the distance, there was a tall mossy tower. Vines beginning to climb its base as fog circled around the tippy top of it.

“That tower looks like it’s smack dab in the middle of everything.”

“Mm. Probably could get a good lay of the land from there.” Nadine added, knowing exactly where I was going with it. After a bit of conversation on the way over, the three of us managed to find a way to gel. Like an oiled machine. Barely working but it got shit done.

“Right then. So we have a plan. Get to the tower. Nadine, you keep an eye out for Asav. Not that I’m too worried about him.” Chloe shrugged, starting up the car.

“You should be. We won’t have the advantage of surprise again. I don’t think he was expecting much from you… Either of you really.” Nadine said, looking off somewhere. Chloe dramatically stopped the car.

“I’m sorry- did you just give us a compliment?” She smirked, looking back at me. I smiled small.

“Sounded like she did…” I tilted my head, matching eyes with her in the side view mirror and she shook her head with a light scoff.

“His guys are idiots but Asav…. look, we just need to stay the hell away from him.” She warned us. The way she spoke about him seemed to shake her a bit. I wondered what he did that got her so spooked. Chloe continued to drive like a maniac through the half dried up vallies. Much like Nathan did, she took the opportunity to drive over every rock and slope she could find. Every drop gave me a heart attack, every slip back worried the hell out of me. And yet… I felt totally safe with her driving the car. I could take a nap in this little bumpy ride and wake up unworried. Wouldn’t recommend it though… In a strange sort of comfort, I leaned my head back and looked at the clear skies and the ruins as we drove beneath the sculpted bridges and such.

“I never understood the appeal of people like Asav…” Chloe said randomly, filling the silence once again.

“It’s simple. He finds men who are weak and offers them power.” Nadine answered simply. “Gives them purpose.”

“Sounds like bullshit to me.” I commented and Chloe agreed. Then I figured maybe I’d start talking. I was going to be stuck with these two for a while. Might as well… “How’d you get caught up with this guy anyways, Nadine?”

“‘ _ Purpose? _ ’” Chloe mocked and I chuckled, hitting her shoulder playfully. Nadine grimaced and flared her nostrils.

“Rather not go into it.” She simply stated.

“He  _ certainly  _ seemed to have a thing for you.” Chloe teased. I raised my brows and moved to the middle of the backseat.

“Hwat?!” I exclaimed.

“Don’t remind me. Proved useful at the time but…. ja.” She brushed over the subject very quickly.

“And again I say-  _ HWAT?! _ ” I blinked at her, seeing her in a different light. Through everything, I somehow had forgotten that she was a woman above all things.

“ _ Uh...do tell!!! _ ” Chloe prodded in excitement. Finally, a conversation worth having.

“Rather not.” Nadine said, shutting it down quickly.

“Over drinks?” Chloe was adamant on getting her fill of gossip for the day but Nadine wasn’t having it.

“Not enough alcohol in the world.”

“Damn… and you talked about  _ my _ taste in men….” I chuckled, leaning back in my seat as we drove along a shallow ravine.

“Well I don’t go sleeping around with two bit thieves.” Nadine commented.

“No. You just go sleepin’ around with spoiled emo rich kids and psycho warlords.” I fired back rather quickly. I smirked.

“Alright, you two. Enough.” Chloe giggled, changing the subject. She nudged Nadine in her side. “So you’re the military expert. What’s his strategy here?”

“He’s spread out his men. Hoping to stop us in our tracks. Rookie move on his part. Not what I would do…” she said.

“And what would you do, Nadine?” I asked. I somewhat cared but I also didn’t. Warming up to her was a challenge when she could be so snippy.

“Besides lose the beard?” She began. I chuckled. ‘ _ Is that a sense of humor? _ ’ I thought with a small smile as she spoke. “I’d hang back. Let you do all the heavy lifting  _ then  _ swoop in the grab the tusk once you’ve done all the hard work.” It was brutal but efficient.

“Jesus, Ross…” I crinkled my brows as I looked at her and she just shrugged.

“You asked.” She mumbled. 

We continued to drive about. Slowly but surely I was beginning to get annoyed with Chloe’s driving. She kept running under waterfalls, thinking it was funny. It was cute the first time. But after the third and fourth time, I was just cold and wet. We dried off some as we waited for Chloe to climb and examine the tower. As it turned out, there were symbols inside pointing us in the direction of each temple ruin. And with that, we started off for the first one. We drove up some cliffs to the top of a waterfall and suddenly slowed down. There was a big truck parked in front of one of the ruins.

“Asav’s men?” I asked.

“Ja.” Nadine whispered.

“Let’s get going then, ladies.” Chloe said, parking the 4x4 behind the truck and grabbing her gun as she hopped out of the car. I checked the clips in my guns to make sure I was good and followed suit. 

We climbed the platform to be met with a structure that looked like the remnants of a temple. Carved into the stone was the shape of a trident, a motif carved into the very top of the ruin that was quite similar to Chloe’s disc. “Ganesh. Remover of Obstacles….” I heard Nadine mumble as I tightened the strap on my gun over my shoulder.

“Where’d you learn that?” I asked stupidly.

“Picked up a book. Same as you…” I heard her voice trail off as if she were distracted. When I looked up, she was staring at Chloe as she let her dark tresses down from her ponytail to wring out her hair. She blinked a moment and then looked away, flustered as she threw her hair back up into a new ponytail and began marking her map. I smirked. She was totally into her. It was clear as day. Poor Nadine thought no one noticed but I did. Compared to her two psycho exes, Chloe was a  _ huge _ step up. Wasn’t exactly sure if I approved yet though.

“Alright, you lot. Let’s go.” Chloe ordered and we followed her into the temple.

Asav’s men were pacing at their posts all over the place. I had to give it to this guy. He suckered a lot of sorry saps to their deaths for this job. Poor bastards would never know what hit them. “Is the gate secured?!” I heard a man yell as the three of us crouched low in a patch of grass then taking cover behind a fallen pillar.

“Not yet! Waiting on Cobra B!” Another answered.

“Oi! Let’s keep this quiet, ja?” Nadine whispered to us. “Spurrs, have you still got that silencer?” She asked me. I rolled my eyes and groaned. I wanted to blow things up, make some noise. But Nadine, on the other hand, wanted to do everything quickly and quietly.

“Yeah I still got it on me…” I replied sadly.

“Good. So would you mind…?” She nodded towards one of the men pacing atop a singular platform with a machine gun resting on his shoulder lazily. I clicked off the safety and huffed.

“I got it.” I mumbled. Chloe just chuckled and rubbed my back.

“There’ll be plenty of time for more fun, later, Sunny.” She told me. I gave her a small smile before running the same plan as before. I ran through first, thinned out the group at the higher points. Then Chloe and Nadine would take out the others on the ground. We got away with it again but something was telling me that was the last time we’d be able to pull this off. The group was cleared as we watched Chloe deliver a final blow to a man’s jaw and she shook her hand to relieve the pain.

“Woo! You alright?” I heard her ask Nadine.

“Besides working for a reckless treasure hunter… ja. I’m good.” She responded. Chloe blew her bangs from her face and rolled her eyes. I joined the two at the end of the field and took a look at my surroundings.

“What is this place? Or what was it rather…” I asked Chloe.

“Honestly… hard to say. A fortress maybe? It’s not the right layout for a temple.” She told us, walking towards a ruin that housed an odd looking circular mechanism on the gate. Guess I was wrong about the place. We began pulling and pressing on the spokes of the wheel but it wouldn’t budge. “Hmm… how the hell—” Suddenly, I ran my hand over the middle. If there was something I learned from Nathan, it was to press everything. As I pressed it quickly, each spoke flipped revealing a carved golden side. “How’d you do that?”

“Natey presses things all the time. Looked like a button so I gave it a shot.”

“Huh…” She hummed curiously as we heard multiple clicks beneath us and in the distance. She looked behind her and a mechanism that looked similar to the wheel appeared on the ground. “What do  _ you _ do….” She crouched low and placed a hand on the handle, turning it and pressing it into the ground. There was a low creak and a spoke on the wheel behind Nadine and I made a sound. A lock retracted when she did whatever she did. Chloe mumbled something inaudible to herself as Nadine called for her attention.

“One of the spokes just turned around.” She told her. Chloe chewed on her lip as we approached her.

“I saw a couple thingies like this one around the ruins on the way over.” I told her.

“Right. So let’s turn the others.” She said, stretching her arms. The three of us split up and turned the other nodules. It didn’t take very long for us to find them.

“Now back to the big wheel thing…” I said to myself after we made sure we got them all.

When we got back to the gate, Chloe took a spin of the wheel and the stone gate began to lift. “Teamwork makes the dream work, eh?” I smiled as it slowly rose. Suddenly, the door had gotten stuck about a foot and a half from the ground.

“Oh you’re kidding me…” Nadine groaned as we looked beneath it.

“Guess we’re going under…” Chloe commented as she crawled beneath it. Not wanting it to fall on me before we could get through, I crawled in right behind her without a second thought. Nadine followed behind me and just as her foot passed the threshold, the gate dropped closed behind her. It didn’t seem to freak her out at all though. I shook the nerves off and followed Chloe around a wall where we were met with a set of steps that led to what looked like a little stone gazebo and a mechanism in the middle of it. There was a gorgeous view of waterfalls and mountains from here. It was breathtaking really. Much like I tended to do (because I just  _ love _ psyching myself out), I walked to the edge and looked down at how high up we were. ‘ _ Fuck… _ ’ I thought as I pulled away to bring my attention to the mechanism. There was a puzzle all jumbled up and right beneath it was a circular slot. I ran my fingers over it ready to solve whatever it was but there was nothing to move it with. Chloe suddenly hummed and pulled her disc from earlier out.

“What are you willing to bet…” she said, pressing the disc into the slot. Suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle lifted from their locked positions. A smirk formed on her lips as she gestured to me. “All you.” She said, leaving me to quickly solve the ancient Hoysala jigsaw puzzle. I turned the pieces all together so that they’d fit and formed the image of a trident before locking together and back down into its base. Just as it clicked, the entire puzzle panel flipped revealing a beautifully carved image of elephant diety. I jumped back a bit as two poles then sprung out from the sides suddenly. “Well hello, sir!” Chloe commented respectfully, looking over my shoulder.

“Now what?” Nadine asked.

“I guess we turn the crank? See what happens next...” I guessed, putting my hands on one of the poles, ready to push. Chloe got on the other side to do the same but Nadine but a hand on her arm to stop her a second.

“Is it safe?” She asked in a rather sheepish tone; one very out of character for Nadine Ross. Chloe just chuckled.

“Y’know, treasure hunting isn’t a good gig for the risk-averse, right?” She joked. 

“Neither is being a mercenary. Difference is- when I pull a pin on a grenade, I know what's going to happen next.” Nadine took a few steps back to let us do our thing. Chloe shrugged.

“My ways much more fun.” She said, winking at me.

I smiled and the two of us began to turn the crank. After a few seconds, we could hear a low rumble and it began to feed out into the floor below us. “You hear that?”

“You  _ feel _ that?” Nadine asked, looking at her feet.

“What the hell…” I mumbled, looking around. Suddenly, behind us, we could hear the splashes of running water. “Yo….” I whispered in awe as we all looked over the edge. Nadine stood to look out at the view and tapped Chloe on the shoulder.

“Guys, look…” she said pointing to a mountain out before us. Chloe pulled out her binoculars and peered at it curiously. A bright smile pulled on her lips.

“There is a  _ massive  _ relief carved into the side of that mountain.” she said, handing me the binoculars to look for myself. In full view, there was a gorgeous elaborate carving with a bit of water streaming down the front of it. I chuckled and handed them to Nadine so she could see it as well. “And  _ you _ were worried that we were going to turn that crank and die…” She seemed rather amused by her paranoia. Nadine just smiled nervously and looked into the binoculars. I looked at the pair of them together. It was still odd but maybe…

“Guess it’s good we’ve got an archaeologist’s daughter with us.” She commented. Nadine missed it but Chloe’s smile suddenly fell as she went into thought. “That must’ve been fun growing up, eh?”

“It had its moments… and I learned a lot… Hoysala Empire was kinda his thing.” she said, seeming as if she were trying to talk herself into believing something was better than it was. Trying to find the bright side in it as she’d done with everything in life. She leaned against a pillar and looked at her swollen knuckles, picking the dirt from beneath her bloodied nails. Then she gave a big sigh. “Took up a lot of his time though...” She said. Nadine and I looked at her as she chewed on her lip, looking out at the view pensively. I was beginning to understand. He wasn’t around a lot because of it. She just wanted to be with her father and he was probably too busy to see that. I knew that feeling all too well myself. I leaned on the bar of the crank as she continued. “Me, if I go digging for treasure, I’d better make a buck or two…”

“Sure. I don’t take risks without a good payday.” Nadine looked back at her with a gentle smile. My eyes widened a little. I’d never seen her look so innocent before. It was almost cute. I stayed quiet like a little fangirl to watch their interactions.

“Much like running an army, huh? That’s a big responsibility.” Chloe commented, gearing the conversation back towards her. Nadine always seemed uncomfortable talking about her life. Much like Chloe did. She winced as she turned back to the view, staring at the flock of birds that flew by.

“Second nature. It was my father’s business. He retired, I took over.” She said simply and militantly. When she did talk about herself, it was interesting to hear. It was like she was a human being or something and not a raging bitch for once.

“ _ Family business _ … Made a real mess of it.” Chloe said rather insensitively. I raised a brow at her and chuckled at her.

“Well you should know. Like Spurrs, here, I heard you and those Drake brothers are close.” She retorted, throwing me into the mix as she handed back her binoculars. And just like that, we were back to square one. I scoffed at the nerve she had to bring them up like that. I stood up and started down the stairs. Chloe looked between the two of us awkwardly as she looked into her binoculars again.

“Yeah well, that’s a conversation for another time…” she said brushing the subject but Nadine wouldn’t let it go.

“If they didn’t tell you, I’m sure Sunny did.” She said. I made a face and turned my head to look at her.

“Why are you pokin’ the bear for? It’s done. Libertalia is done. It’s over. No reason to dwell on it.” I said as calmly as possible, sitting at the foot of the steps and lighting myself a cigarette. Nadine grunted as she turned back to face the mountains.

“So where to now?” She asked Chloe.

“Well there’s another fort embedded in the mountains that way. I’d say that’s a start. And  _ definitely  _ that fort in the lakebed.” Chloe answered, tucking her binoculars away and pulling out her map.

“Let’s get going then.” Nadine sighed. Yet and still, she just couldn’t drop the subject. “I suppose I should’ve asked about the Drakes before I took this job.” She said. I took a big drag and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke as I shook my head, chuckling in annoyance.

“Not much to tell.” Chloe said as she began to mark down the forts on her map. “I know Nate pretty well. Sam less so. He just seemed to fall right into my lap.” I chuckled at the irony.

“ _ I’m sure he did… _ ” I commented sourly. Chloe, thinking I was being funny, giggled mischievously. I shook my head as Nadine looked between the two of us.

“What- you slept with him, too?” She asked her in disgust, putting two and two together. My heart skipped. ‘ _ Shit… _ ’ I thought, tossing my cigarette over the edge in frustration. I began bouncing my knee anxiously, knowing exactly where this conversation was headed. Chloe peeked up from her map, narrowing her eyes at her.

“What do you mean  _ ‘too’ _ ?” She asked. I groaned.

“You and Spurrs, I mean. Hell, he’s practically her boyfriend-” Nadine elaborated.

“He’s not my boyfriend-” I snapped.

“Ja. Like I believe that. I do have eyes, Sunny.” She laughed briefly. I turned to look at the pair and Chloe was looking at me in surprise. “I saw the way he looked at you. How he protected you from Rafe in Libertalia every chance he got. It was obvious you two were together. And if either of you thought you were hiding it, you were doing a piss poor job of it.”

“Sam’s your  _ boyfriend?! _ ” Chloe asked as her face seemed to pale.

“ _ He is not my boyfriend!!! _ ” I exclaimed, covering my face in frustration.

“Isn’t he though?” Nadine fired back. I was having a flashback from my conversation with Sully when he said something similar. I had nothing else to say. So I opted to stay quiet.

“Sunflower…” I heard Chloe mumble softly.

“Have you finished markin’ up that map? If so, we should go. I wanna stay ahead of this Asav guy. Never met him and I don’t really plan to.” I said abruptly, standing to leave down the stairs and around the wall. My heart was pounding. I was nervous, I was embarrassed, I was angry. There were so many things to feel in that moment and it took everything in me to hold back a couple years. I sniffled and took a few deep breaths to center myself again. The girls followed behind me and Chloe couldn’t seem to stop looking at me. She didn’t know the full story but she knew something was wrong. She looked as though she’d done something stupid and didn’t know how to apologize for it. But in truth, she had nothing to apologize for. She didn’t do anything wrong. When I really thought about it, I wasn’t even mad at her. It was Sam and how he practically lied to me  _ again. _ ‘ _ Must come with the Drake territory… all that damn lyin’... _ ’ I thought as Nadine approached me. She looked rather guilty but it was too late for that.

“Spurrs, I-”

“Just don’t. Help me lift this.” I said, dismissing whatever it was she had to say. She just nodded and bent her knees to help me lift the excessively heavy gate. 

“You’ve got it?” She asked me and I nodded.

“Chloe, go!” I grunted, struggling to hold the stone gate up as she crawled under. Then she held it up from the other side. “Go.” I told Nadine, then she crawled under and held it up as well. I crawled through last and they dropped the heavy door as soon as I was out from under it. Without speaking to either of them, I started across the fort for the 4x4. 

Just as I was walking by a ruin, I’d gotten a glimpse of a man in a generic camouflage uniform coming our way. My eyes widened and I turned on my heel very quickly, dipping around the corner to take cover. Chloe and Nadine stopped in their tracks as they watched me press my back against the stoney platform and I mouthed for them to back off; waving at them as they silently got the hint and took cover themselves. I could see their heads peeping at me from behind their corners. I rolled my eyes when suddenly the man walked right by me. He didn’t even notice my presence against the wall; his tunnel vision was clearly geared towards the gate we’d just left from. I did a quick once over of the weapons on his person and my eyes lit up at the sight of the massive knife tucked in its holster. With quick reflex and an excited smirk, I adjusted the gun in my hand to bust the heavy hilt upside the back of his head. Grunting briefly, he passed out and fell back into my arms. I laid him in the shallow water gently so as to not make more noise and patted him down for everything he had.  _ Including that beautiful knife. _ The girls appeared from their corners, weapons drawn and anxious expressions on their faces. They carefully stalked over to me, bending to meet my level. 

“Reinforcements are on their way. They must’ve seen the car.” I told them as I stole this man’s M39. I held it up and checked it’s clip that happened to be damn near full. “If we split up-”

“ _ No!  _ We don’t split up. That’s a sure fire way to get us all killed.” Nadine whisper-fussed at me, her eyes darting between me and the direction the man had just come from.

“Nadine, we don’t have a choice!” I snapped in a hushed tone when suddenly the man’s communication device began to produce a bit of static. This guy’s comrade started asking questions.

“ _ Sadik! Do you see those mongrels? _ ” We heard his voice say. Chloe made a face as we stared at the device.

“Rude.” She commented. Neither of us knew what to do.

“Well shit, do we answer it?” I asked Nadine.

“Why are you asking me?”

“You’re the grown up here.” I told her.

“You’re not twelve, Sunny!” She snapped as the static began to come through again.

“ _ Sadik! Brother? Are you there?! _ ” The man’s voice said again. I was getting worried. He obviously knew something wasn’t right and was surely sending more boots our way. I looked up at Chloe as she chewed on her lip.

“Fuck it.” She eventually said, turning down the volume of his device and pulling her own gun off of her shoulder. “No guts, no glory, right?” I could feel that familiar surge of adrenaline pumping and I knew that I was finally going to get the fight I’d been waiting for.

It seemed to be every woman for themselves for the immediate second. Chloe and Nadine peeled off in different directions and I climbed the ruin in front of me, hiding behind the corner of a pillar. I peeked from behind to scope out just how many there were out there. And it was a nice little amount, too. I took a deep breath and watched as they began to split up. I aimed my pistol at a few men, shooting a few down one by one as the strategy seemed to be. When enough were down, I suddenly noticed Chloe recklessly jumping from the top of a ruin, striking a man across his jaw and bringing him down. She began to fire her guns almost immediately. Nadine had begun throwing her signature kicks, conserving her ammunition by using hand to hand combat instead of using her weapon. Gunfire began to ring out as I tucked my pistol away and began to use the stolen machine gun. I jumped from my spot and began powering through, my muscles resisting against the power of the gun as men dropped like flies. Unfortunately, the fight didn’t last as long as I had hoped. It was underwhelming compared to what Nadine brought to us in Libertalia. If anything, I had to give that to her. I groaned as I watched Chloe knock out the last man and started for the car. I could feel a set of eyes on the back of my neck as I walked away. But considering my options as to who’s eyes, I could’ve cared less. Just as I was about to climb the wall that led us back to the 4x4, I felt a gentle hand on my back. I was turned to be met with Nadine. She seemed a bit awkward. She was the type that wasn’t used to apologizing and I could tell that. But lord did she try…

“You handled yourself well back there. Both of you really... all things considered…” she said looking at the ground and picking at her cuticles. Chloe gave an airy laugh and placed her hands on her hips.

“All things considered? That’s high praise coming from you.” She said. I was still fuming from her little stunt earlier. Although I had mentally accepted her apology thirty minutes ago, I still felt indifferent. Staring at her, the stone like expression on my face never changed.

“I don’t want your praise.” I said simply before climbing the wall. Reluctantly, I bent down to reach out and help her up. She looked at me in confusion and I just waved my hand in her face. “If you don’t take it, I’m gonna leave you. And I have no problem doin’ that right now.” I told her sternly. Nadine pursed her lips and took my hand as I assisted her up. Then we helped Chloe.

When we got in the car, we sat in silence for a moment, just catching our breaths. I leaned my head in my hand against the car door as I looked out along the scenery. I should’ve been enjoying myself but there I was, just bitter. It was a sticky situation. And the more I thought about what happened, the more upset I became with Sam. All I could really think to ask was “why”. I rubbed an itch away from my nose and blinked away the stinging sensation in my eyes that began to come about. Once again, Chloe broke the silence. She turned to Nadine and looked her dead in her eyes. The younger yet more mature woman looked like a deer in headlights for the moment as she explored Chloe’s grey eyes.

“Just so you know… Nathan Drake is  _ no longer _ in the picture. So you have absolutely nothing to worry about…” I heard her say. I forced out a laugh at the irony. ‘ _ Can’t tell her about Sam though, can you, Frazer? _ ’ I thought, biting the knuckle of my finger. Then she suddenly turned to me. “Sunny—”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s done. He’s a single man. He can do what he wants. I haven’t seen him in months anyway…” I told her a half truth… or a skewered one rather. Chloe just nodded and turned around in her seat.

“Guess we’ll start for the mountain side then. Since it’s closer…”

“Ja. That’d be best…” Nadine mumbled. Chloe looked at me from the rear view mirror with raised brows.

“Sunny, love? You still on board?” She asked me. In all actuality, I couldn’t really afford to go home. So I sighed and nodded.

“Yeah.” I answered, defeatedly. And with that, we started down the shallow rapids and onto the next fortress.


	11. Chapter 11

**_Sunny’s POV_ **

We’d gone through another fort, tucked in a lakebed this time. We ended up going there first instead of the mountain. It was closer than we thought. This job seemed absolutely keen on testing my patience. I’m not sure if anyone really has noticed, but me and heights are not friends. Not even in the slightest. Try as I might, I just couldn’t deal with the fact that one day I might fuck up and fall into the unknown. But with Chloe’s coaching, I managed to be able to climb a couple of cliffs without a massive panic attack. Nadine, who I thought would tease me the most, was actually the most nurturing if you could believe it. And once again, we’d fought through a small clan of insurgents. Afterwards, we found another puzzle, just like the first. With the disc in its slot, I was able to jumble about pieces that formed into a bow and arrow this time. A little more difficult though as the pieces seemed to rotate around each other. But I handled it. It was easier than most puzzles I was subjected to solving. Just like before, the puzzle’s panel flipped, displaying a carved image of Parashurama and bars jutted out from the sides. Knowing what to do, Nadine and Chloe went to turn the crank.

“Alright let's do this.” Nadine said as I took a few steps back but Chloe stopped her.

“Now, now- hold on. What’s to say it’s water again? What if it’s like… fire or something this time?” She asked with a straight face. Nadine narrowed her eyes at her and shook her head.

“You’re messing with me.” Nadine said cautiously. 

“Am I?” Chloe asked with a smirk. Nadine stared at her a bit longer before Chloe’s smile cracked. “I’m totally messing with you.” She chuckled. This woman had a talent for making lies sound factual. A talent much like a certain Drake I knew. She could deep fry a rat and tell me it was chicken and I’d believe her. The more I drew these similarities to each other, the more insecure I became. She was just like him…. just his type. My heart shattered at the thought of them being together again. I needed to see him. All I wanted to do was punch him for being an idiot. I sighed and began to light myself a cigarette as they turned the cranked. Again, water began to swell beneath us and burst out of the gutter in front of the platform. Another waterfall began to form in the relief that could be seen from all distances.

“Hm. I’m a little disappointed it isn’t fire.” Chloe said, elbowing Nadine in her side. A small smile threatened to pull on her lips before she began watching the waterfall. I could sense a bit of frustration from her.

“The Hoysala went to an absurd amount of trouble to hide the tusk.” She said, pacing back and forth behind her. Chloe shrugged and put her binoculars away.

“Welp. The Tusk  _ was _ the symbol of Hoysala dominance. Representing their wealth and their might…” Chloe explained.

“Like a trophy… The Persians definitely would’ve wanted that.” I mumbled loud enough for her to hear. She snapped and finger gunned me for a split second before zoning out again.

“My dad always thought that the tusk was something even greater though…” She hummed. 

“Wait. Your dad was after the tusk?” Nadine asked. The story just kept growing.

“ _ Oh, my dad was obsessed with it. _ ” Chloe said, her brows crinkled together in what seemed like resentment. I readjusted myself against a pillar as I listened to her talk. “All our money  _ wasted _ on fruitless expeditions…”

“Heard that one before…” Nadine seemed to understand what that felt like. Me on the other hand… I only  _ wished _ my dad had left on account of some great adventure. But no. He just couldn’t stand being around me anymore. I couldn’t relate. Nadine nodded her head as she began to piece Chloe’s story together. This was the most she’d ever revealed herself. To anyone. “So what came of it?” She asked. Chloe looked about aimlessly as she scrambled her brain for the answer. But the truth…

“I don’t know…..” she sighed as she tilted her head, her voice dripping in disappointment. She chuckled as she began to reminisce on the shitty times. “Well he sent me and my mum away…. Said it was no longer safe… and off to Australia we went….” she sighed uncomfortably. I frowned and hung my head, pulling in my cigarette and exhaling smoke. “And now  _ here I stand _ ….. on the outskirts of Halebidu…. that’s pretty funny.” It was crazy how life worked. How her father could never get close to this and yet Chloe has gotten closer than he ever could. If anyone deserves to find this thing, it was definitely her.

“Well at least your accent makes sense now…” Nadine chuckled softly. “Frazer’s not exactly an Indian surname either…”

“It was my mum’s.” Chloe said simply as she pulled her map to mark it up again.

“Speaking of accents… I’ve been meanin’ to ask you, Nadine… What in the fuck is your accent?!” I asked, trying to break the ice. I’d suddenly gotten tired of holding so much animosity. Nadine burst into a giggle.

“South African. Yours?”

“Texan. Nothin’ real special. I don’t speak in cursive like y’all.” I chuckled, pulling on my cigarette. Nadine suddenly giggled a little.

“Cursive. Wow.” Chloe laughed. I patted her on the shoulder on my way out.

“Let’s get goin’.” I grinned.

The way down was much easier than the way up. A passageway that wasn’t there before opened up and led us right to where we parked the 4x4. We began driving so as to not waste any time. I looked at Nadine in the side view mirror and her light eyes seemed to wander all over the place as she thought.

“It’s interesting. I get why Asav wants the tusk now. I thought maybe he just wanted it for the money like us.”

“He’ll use it to rally people to his cause. Wave it in the government’s face. Just like all the other times.”

“The other times? This happened before?” I asked in confusion.

“Oh yeah. Ever since the young king lost to the Persians. Everyone’s wanted to lay claim to it. To this land.”

“I thought this was just a treasure hunt...” Nadine commented.

“It is. Let men like Asav fight over it. It’s none of our concern— SHIT!” 

Suddenly, a ball of fire seemed to fly right by us and land on the rocky wall near us, causing a huge explosion. The car bounced back a little from the force but it was fine nonetheless. Posted up on the ruins was another troop of men, taking deadly aim and firing at us from a distance with what looked like a China Lake. Mud kicked up at the spin of the wheels and the engine growled as Chloe whipped the vehicle about. She powered through as another one flew near but missed us and hit the ground before us. Nadine and I pulled our guns and began firing away as cover. Bullet sprayed across the field as we traded shots. And almost a little too easily, Chloe managed to get us out of there quickly and unharmed. “She who drives away, lives another day, I say!” She chuckled as I placed a hand over my heart to calm myself. I still hadn’t relaxed from the last fight. Another bout of adrenaline began to surge and I groaned. This job was a tease. I wanted action; I wanted to blow shit up, stab something, knock a couple heads. And every time I got the littlest taste, it was soon over. It was frustrating really. I just wanted to take some stress out on these guys and it wasn’t happening!

“You  _ do _ realize fighting wars was my concern for a time.” Nadine mentioned.

“You did it for money though.” I pointed out.

“Usually.”

“And what about for Asav? What was that for?” I asked. She scoffed.

“ _ Definitely  _ a cash grab. Hardly worth the trouble.” She said. Chloe and I squealed like the couple of girls we were.

“Why do it then?” Chloe asked.

“I needed to establish my rep. So I figured I’d start with the worst of the bunch.”

“Guess from there, there’s nowhere to go but up!” I said with sarcasm. The girls both laughed. For once, the three of us were getting along. And that was good. I couldn’t help but wonder for how long though… We hadn’t run into any  _ real _ trouble and there was no word from Sam yet. ‘ _ I hope you’re okay… _ ’ I thought for a moment. On one hand, I hoped he was safe and unharmed. On the other, I wanted to beat him up myself. For the meantime, the three of us were handling things just fine on our own. It was nice to be working with women for a change. We were only missing Elena...

For a while we began talking about everything from how we all got our start in the Life, what we’d found, where we’d been… At this point I found out Chloe had never been to the states which was  _ insane! _ I promised I’d let her visit and that I’d show her around San Francisco. I even thought to invite Nadine if we managed to be cool by the end of this. we’d taken out more insurgents and just like that, we were on our way to the last puzzle. The fort we passed through to get there though, I hated. We had to swim through the lake to get by. Not only were my clothes wet but now so was my hair and my cigarettes… I couldn’t stress it enough:  _ I hated it. _ Afterwards, the job managed to get a bit more exciting. Things were looking up. Inside a dark and musty room was a newer puzzle; statues that seemed to move with each pillar we stepped on.

“Well I’ll be go to hell… That’s elaborate.” Chloe said as the pillars rose from the ground at the turn of a crank. I stared at the mechanism and then longer at the statue. It was towering and golden, shaped like a warrior with a red jewel stuck in its chest. The faint sunlight that drew in seemed to make it glitter. In its hand was one  _ massive _ axe. It was old but I was damn sure that thing still worked. Within three steps, the statue had risen its axe and swiped across. I could feel the wind from its quick motions from where I stood. Nervously, I hopped back the way I came in, looking at my path again to make sure it was correct. If I let it hit me, I’d be more than dead.

“Oh fun… Felt _ that _ one go by...” I grumbled as Chloe rubbed my shoulders.

“You can do this!” She told me with a fake tone of encouragement.

“Yeah… I got it…” I said, absolutely unsure if I really did. Nadine winced as she looked at the contraption.

“Are you sure you can solve that?” She asked me. I nodded as I ran my fingers through my wet curls and adjusted my pants. I bounced on my toes and shook off the nerves that began to prick at me like needles. Chloe made a face and placed a hand on top of my head.

“I can do this for you if you want, Sun—”

“No, no. I got this…..” I said, eyeballing it a little longer. Then suddenly it clicked for me. I could see the path. “Yeah…. yeah I got this.” I said, jumping onto the first pillar. I was able to get through it and the girls could walk over the pillars without the threat of a swinging statue. On the other side was a cliff and a beautiful view of the mountainous terrain, topped with fog and colorful trees. I watched the look on Nadine’s face as Chloe stopped to marvel at the sight. I punched her in the arm subtly with a teasing smile and she averted her gaze, shaking her head. The three of us ended up taking a selfie in front of the pretty green mountains, bunny fingers, goofy faces and all. It was nice.

As we followed the cliff into another dingy room, we’d come upon another puzzle. Just like the first but with more statues and increasingly more difficult. I sighed.

“Shall I take this one?” Chloe asked me. I shook my head.

“Lemme pull my weight. I got it.” I said. Throughout the trip, I barely contributed anything useful other than brute force. This was the time that I got to  _ actually  _ do something. To prove my worth to the team. I had to just nut up and do it. Although I was still pissed at him, I could hear Sam’s voice in my head. ‘ _ Don’t think about it. Just do it. _ ’ I heard him say, thinking about the way his thumbs would rub over the bone of my hips in comfort. I put a hand on my hip for a moment and took a deep breath before I turned the crank, watching the statues set and the pillars rise from the floor. This time there was one golden warrior statue and two silvers with a blue jewel in its chest. I jumped out to the first pillar and all three statues moved into their ready positions. It was harrowing almost. One wrong move and that was my whole head. I worked out a pattern halfway through until suddenly I had gotten stuck. I’d forgotten which way I’d just come from and I was planted right in front of a statue that was ready to swing at me. I was fucked. Royally. “Um…. g-guys!” I cried out nervously. “I fucked it…. I’m lost!”

“What do you mean ‘ _ you’re lost _ ’?!” Chloe shouted.

“I mean I’m lost, bitch! I fucked up! I don’t remember which pillar I jumped from!” I started to panic, pressing my hands to my cheeks and looking around me. I couldn’t figure out what was next. Surprisingly, Nadine was the calm in the storm.

“That’s okay! I was watching. Just give me a second…” I heard Nadine shout to me. Now my life was in her hands. I could only pray that she didn’t have the hesitation that I did. I crouched to hug my knees as I watched the two women bicker about something; I was too far away to really hear what about. After  _ at least _ twenty minutes went by, I chewed on my lip anxiously as my mind began to overthink and wonder about all the people I loved in my life. Sweet, sweet Erik. My truest and oldest friend. I’ve treated him horrible the past year. And through it all he still loved me. With every flaw. Kitty Cat… the little sister I’d always wanted. Sure she was a little hard headed; stubborn, mouthy, and maybe even a little bit of an asshole! But I loved her and took care of her to the best of my abilities. Natey; the man who brought me into a better life and took me to places I could only ever dream of. His lovely wife Elena, Chloe, Sully, even Nadine… And Sam. God damn that man. The man who made me suddenly feel and  _ want _ to feel again. I was then ripped from my depressive thoughts as I heard my name being called from a distance. I stood up and leaned forward, hoping to hear them better. 

“Move to your left and jump backwards!” I heard Nadine shout. I did as I was told and the statue before me just missed me. The three of us screamed as it’s axe swiped by, cutting through the air. That gave me three more moves to make. I grinned and looked back at the two.

“Alright, I think I got it now!” I shouted back. I figured out how to get around the third statue and completed the puzzle. The girls were able to jump through safely once again. As soon as Chloe got off her platform, she ran to hug me tightly. It startled me but eventually I settled into it. 

“I thought we’d lost you.” She grunted. She hugged me tighter and squished my face with her hands. “Lord knows what I’d tell anybody if anything ever happened to you.”

“That I died being dope. That’s all. That’s the announcement.” I joked, making her giggle. Nadine smiled to herself as she watched Chloe embrace me. After I managed to pry myself from Chloe’s arms, I walked over to Nadine and stuck a hand out to her.

“Thanks… for gettin’ me outta there.” I mumbled. She just smiled and shook my hand.

“Now we’re even.” She said simply. Suddenly, I could hear Chloe groaning in the next room. We ran inside to see what the problem was. When I did, I just about wanted to cry. Another puzzle.  _ Five statues. _ Three gold, two silver, more nerves.

“ _ Please  _ tell me this is all.” I huffed.

“We’ll watch this time. Just in case you get stuck again.” Nadine told me reassuringly. I nodded at her and turned the crank. I stood at the starting point and the gate dropped down for me to begin. Each pillar in front of a statue made me sweat. Every time seemed like a reminder that my life was in this thing’s grasp. Though this one took a little longer, with help, I got through it. I stood at the end triumphantly and tiredly. 

“Well done, Spurrs. Let’s hope there’s not another.” Nadine told me, patting my back.

“PLEASE NO!” I exclaimed.

“You mean you didn’t like it?” Chloe asked sarcastically. I made a face at her and she chuckled. “Shall we?” She gestured to the stone steps before us.

“Fuckin’ please.” I said, starting up the steps to get away from the death trap I’d just completed.

Just like the others, the last jigsaw puzzle was under a stone gazebo, overlooking the mountains with a clear view of the relief. The puzzle was like the last; the pieces rotated around one another. But I solved the puzzle to show the image of an axe. The panel flipped to reveal a carved likeness of Shiva and the crank bars sprung from its sides like the others.

“Let’s give it a turn then.” Chloe said grabbing one end and Nadine grabbing the other. I stepped back to watch them turn it when suddenly Chloe’s bar snapped and she fell face first into the grass and moss. I covered my mouth and giggled loudly. 

“I told you it was dangerous.” Nadine smiled, helping her up. “Are you hurt?” She asked, giving her a once over. Chloe blinked at her a moment as she placed a hand on her cheek, checking for bumps or bruises. She smiled back and pushed her bangs off of her face.

“Just my dignity.” She cracked. It was like watching a shitty Rom-Com. My heart swelled watching the two of them. Chloe was still clueless but I was sure she’d get the hint eventually. I had faith. They both shared Nadine’s bar and pushed together to turn the crank. We already knew what to expect by then. The rumble, the noises, the gutter. And just like that, the waterfall in the relief was completed. The three of us stood at the edge to admire what we’d gone all over creation to finish. In the corner of my eye, I saw Chloe peek at Nadine from her binoculars with a smirk.

“Y’know… you’re pretty good at treasure hunting.” She told her. Nadine smiled to herself and glanced at the mountain.

“I’m a quick study.” She answered proudly, crossing her arms. Chloe pulled out this small golden piece she’d been constantly playing with since the job started. She tossed it in her hand in thought.

“One question though…” she began. Nadine turned her head and batted her long lashes. “I reckon you could pretty much do anything you want. Why are you so keen to get Shoreline back?” She asked. The question seemed to catch Nadine off guard. She tilted her head like she’d just asked the dumbest question.

“ _ Seriously? _ ” She asked. Chloe just nodded, awaiting an answer. I was rather curious myself. As efficient as she was, as talented as she was, why did she want some bullshit mercenary corp back? She began listing reasons off with her fingers. “My partner turns my own men against me. My  _ lieutenant  _ makes off with the bounty. Sunny got away.” I frowned as she pointed at me. Libertalia was a sticky situation for everybody. But she continued. “Nathan and Samuel Drake get off scot free, and you wanna know what I want Shoreline back?” I winced at the mention of the boys. There would always be that sore spot between us when it came to them. Chloe narrowed her eyes at her, chewing on her lip before answering solidly.

“Yeah.” She said. Nadine looked at her a moment, readying her mouth for the answer. Whatever it was, it seemed like it was still hard for her to accept.

“It was on my watch.” She replied somberly. She wrinkled her brows and hugged herself as she looked out at the foggy mountaintops. “I lost it on my watch.” In a way, I understood. She had a responsibility and it got out of hand. I didn’t exactly make her job easy for her either. I sort of felt bad for that.

“I’m sorry?” I mumbled. I wasn’t really sure what I was apologizing for but I felt like it needed to be said. 

“‘ _ I’m sorry _ ’?” Nadine repeated, narrowing her eyes at me.

“Yeah. For what it’s worth, I think you’re a kick ass chick. And I’m sorry things didn’t pan out well for you.”

“You were one of the reasons it didn’t.” She said.

“Yeah… but to be fair, you shot me.”

“And then your bloody boyfriend almost shot me!” She yelled.

“ _ He is NOT my boyfriend! _ ” I snapped. This was what I got for trying to be nice. 

“Quit lying to yourself, Spurrs! This whole trip, you’ve done nothing but mope about something you claim doesn’t bother you!” She snapped, turning around to point an aggressive finger at me. Chloe groaned audibly and continued to play with her gold piece as Nadine threw a bitch fit because things hit too close to home. “My advice: stop mucking around with some guy who screws other people to hurt you. Just because you and I are square, doesn’t mean I don’t still have it in for him. He better be lucky he’s not here today because the second I get the chance, he’s dead. And I mean that.” She seethed. I snarled at her protectively. She’d have to go through me before I let that happen. Before I could even respond, she turned her attention back to Chloe, clearly annoyed.

“What is that thing you keep playing with?!” She snapped. Chloe smirked, amused by her annoyance.

“It’s my ‘stress toy’.” She answered. “It showed up in the mail a few weeks after we got to Australia…”

“Nice. Can we go now? As far as we know we’re ahead of this guy…” I said, my eyes never leaving Nadine’s. It seemed as if whatever animosity that was between us would never be resolved. As long as I was in alliance with the Drake brothers, she’d never truly reconcile anything with me. For the moment, that was fine. I wasn’t looking for new friends and I didn’t need them. But like the professional I tried my hardest to be, I pushed it aside to get the job done. As we headed back to the car, I listened to Chloe give her a short and sweet pep talk on how it was okay to fail. Similar to a talk I’d given Sam in Libertalia. At this point, I just wanted to get the job over with. I was tired, hungry, damp from water and sweat, it was hot, and I was worried. Suddenly, Chloe’s phone began to beep. The fact that she even remotely got a signal here was impressive. The expression on her face, not so much. She looked at me before fixing her face as Nadine turned around. What had happened? Was it Sam? I could exactly ask as we were keeping him away from Nadine. So I left it alone until later. With that, we got back to the 4x4 and set out for the relief in the mountain.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Sunny’s POV_ **

We’d been driving for an hour and had been undisturbed the entire time. I was beginning to understand Nadine’s worry. It made the job easier thus far but Asav could’ve been anywhere. We could walk right into a trap and never know it. I sighed as we pulled upon a cliff. The ground was broken as grass grew between the cracks and vines grew along the front of the platform. Before us was the relief we'd seen from a distance.

“ _ Woah… _ ” I murmured in wonder as we hopped out of the car.

“You can say that again….” Chloe chuckled as her phone went off again.

“It’s magnificent…” I heard Nadine say in awe; I watched Chloe’s brows seem to crinkle in worry as she checked it. I narrowed my eyes at her as she tucked her phone away before Nadine could notice. She blew a bit of hair out of her face and rocked her weight back and forth on her heels.

“Chloe… what’s goin’ on?” I asked her. Nadine began to walk towards the platform and turned to look at us.

“You coming?” She shouted.

“In a minute! I need to talk to Sunflower a moment.” Chloe answered. Nadine narrowed her eyes and looked between the two of us suspiciously. She shrugged and started towards the relief. Chloe brought her gaze back to me and we walked slowly, several paces behind Nadine. “It’s Sam.” She told me in a hushed tone. My heart jolted and worry began to wash over me.

“What happened?” I asked her.

“He thinks he’s been made.” She said quickly. I gasped.

“Oh shit… Did he get caught?” I asked as calmly as possible, despite my speeding heart rate.

“Not yet. But I don’t think Asav’s buying his act anymore.”

“Well how much longer can he keep it up?” 

“He’s not sure…” she began to chew on her cuticles nervously in thought before speaking again. “We’ve got to pull him out.”

“Well how in the hell do we do that without Nadine catchin’ on to it?”

“I don’t think we really have a choice here, Sunny. If we don’t, Sam’s beyond dead.” She told me direly. My breathing grew shallow and my head pounded against my skull. All of this mess was about to come together and I wasn’t mentally ready for it. I sighed and scratched at a spot on my head anxiously.

“She’s gonna flip her shit, Chloe.” I warned her.

“I know. But I can risk that.”

“Can you?” I asked her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She wrinkled her brows at me and I rolled my eyes. “Nadine is a big girl, okay? I think she’d be able to handle it if you—”

“Nope. You said it yourself- she wouldn’t understand—”

“ _ Okay _ but maybe if you just—”

“ _ She won’t get it, Sunny! _ ” She argued. I shut my mouth to let her speak. This was obviously stressing her out too. I don’t think getting Sam this early was part of her plan. “You heard her talking about Libertalia. You think she’s just going to willingly work with Sam after all of that? He put a gun to her head! And she lost  _ everything _ because of him! And you as well! But at least she can stand you…”

“Barely. Look…. either way, she’s gonna find out. Why not just be honest with her now?”

“I still need her help, Sunny. Her role is not done yet.” She seemed adamant about not telling her. It was just going to create more problems in my opinion but she was stubborn and set in her way. I sighed and shook my head, my foot tapping the stone beneath us.

“How far from us is he?” I asked reluctantly. She seemed confused.

“Who Sam or Asav?”

“Both. If he’s his  _ ‘expert’ _ then he should be close by. We’re gonna have to face Asav eventually. Even if it wasn’t supposed to be this soon, we have to.” I huffed with my hands on my hips. “I hope you know what the sam-hell you’re doin’....”

“I’m working on it. Just be ready when I need you.”

“Of course.” I said defeatedly, walking off to join Nadine. Chloe seemed to take a moment to herself as I climbed the platform. As I approached, I noticed a big crank that we’d have to turn. I leaned on the gold bar and wiped the sweat from my neck with my dirty black tee shirt, looking at the relief in silence.

“What’s she talking about?”

“She was apologizin’ for something she didn’t need to….”

“Ah….” Nadine looked up at the elaborate artwork carved into the mountain and crossed her arms with a sigh. “Spurrs, I know I said—”

“It’s whatever. You were right. I shouldn’t waste time on someone who wants to hurt me. I’m still pissed at him and the next time I see him, I will  _ surely _ let him know that.” I said, glancing up at the mountain.

“Okay… Is Chloe okay?”

“Chloe’s fine.” I mumbled, looking back for her. She was on her way to the platform and getting ready to climb it. “Let’s just get this over with, yeah?” I said.

“Ja…” she replied solemnly. 

Chloe looked up to admire the stonework, same as us. She blew out a puff of air as her eyes scanned over the depiction of what seemed like war. Packed tightly into the circular carving was a bunch of men fighting against one another in close quarters. This was the Persians versus the Hoysala. 

“How long do you think it takes to carve something like this?” Nadine asked to no one in particular, her eyes never leaving the art.

“Years…. Decades, even.”

“Jesus H… Stonework was absolutely their thing, that’s for sure…” I marveled.

“And war…” Nadine mumbled.

“They must’ve made these to commemorate their victories against the Persians.” Chloe sighed.

“Looks like they put up a good fight…”

“They did. Pity it didn’t last…” she paced about for a bit, wiping the sweat that trickled down the tip of her pointed nose. “But their loss is our gain, right?” There she went again with all of that false bravado. Once again she found the bright side of this shitty situation. I crossed my arms as I looked up at the carving when something began to click for me.

“Chloe… that looks like your disc…. almost exact…” I told her. She pulled it out of her back pocket and took a few steps back to look between the disc and this carving and nodded.

“Yeah… that’s right.” She said. I looked at her in confusion as her mind seemed to wander off again. I made a face and obvious gesture at her as I awaited her next response.

“Well…. now what?”I asked. She tucked away the disc again and walked towards the crank I leaned on. 

“Shall we turn this and find out?” She asked mischievously. She was just a big ol ball of risk and curiosity. To be honest, I wouldn’t have her any other way. This crank was a little bigger than the others. Suspiciously, I raised my brow as the three of us pushed it around, hoping nothing bad would come of it. As the crank locked in place, a loud rumble took place. When we looked up at the relief, it began to split in half, opening like a doorway as vines and branches snapped off from the movement. Dust kicked up and poured out from the new entrance mysteriously, rolling along the hot stone ground and circling our feet. On the other end was a rainforest thick with fog and dew. I gasped as I walked around the crank to stand next to the girls. I looked at Chloe and her jaw hung slack in awe. She was speechless.

“Are you good, Chloe?” I asked her.

“Yeah… just uh…. taking it all in….” She answered with a shaky voice. And with that, she walked through the rounded archway and into the rainforest, the massive relief gate closing behind us slowly as we followed her.

We hopped off of a few cliffs and followed the path. I was not at all prepared for this view. It was absolutely breathtaking. Before us were two colossal carved statues of Ganesh, covered in moss and vines. Most seemed to fill the air from the splashes of the waterfall that sat between them hitting the rivers below us. The skies were blue and clear, birds singing. Behind it in the distance, a green mountain with more perfectly blue waterfalls, a rainbow forming in the sky. “Ladies…. Welcome to downtown Halebidu.” Chloe sang. “Last known resting place of the Tusk of Ganesh.” I shook my head in disbelief. There was no way this was a real thing that I was actually seeing with my own eyes. I imagined this was how Nate and Sam felt when they found Libertalia. It was almost worth it to not have seen it first. The untouched city of Halebidu was  _ definitely  _ a gorgeous sight to behold. A smile pulled on my lips and Nadine and I exchanged smiles. Chloe however… Stone faced and anxious, she rested her arms behind her head and straightened her back, bouncing on her toes as she exhaled sharply. 

“Hmm…” She hummed.

“What’s ‘hmm?’” I asked and she pulled the disc out and held it up. She pointed to a rippled spot in the depiction of the waterfall.

“Does that look like there’s a dam or something between the statues?” She asked. When I looked up, that same ripple wasn’t there.

“Probably got eroded by the falls.” I said, straining my eyes for a better look.

“So then how do we get in?” Chloe asked, putting the disc away. Nadine chewed on her lip in thought as she pulled Chloe’s binoculars off of her belt and looked through them for a moment. She suddenly exclaimed and pointed towards the statue. There was a massive hole in the crown. They deduced that it was a watchtower that got bombarded. It was probably how the Persians got in. A small smile pulled at my lips until I noticed Chloe beginning to pace again. It seemed like she had a lot on her mind during this job.

“I had heard about this place for soooo long….” she said shaking her head, still starstruck by where she was standing. She sat down on the lowest cliff ledge and pulled out the gold piece she’d been playing about with and rolled in in her hands, staring at it. “I can’t believe I’m actually looking at it.” She chuckled. Nadine grinned at her. She looked happy for her. She knew what this meant for her. Or at least she thought she did.

“Take a picture! You should send it to your dad!” She said excitedly as she walked along the cliff, staring at the view.

“ _ Great idea _ …” I heard her mumble somberly. I turned to look at her and the look on her face read something sad almost. I put my hands on her hips and caught her eyes, smiling as I tried to cheer her up. She should be beyond happy right now. She found the place she’d been searching for.

“Lemme guess. He’s one of those old dudes who can’t work a new phone?” I joked, crouching before her and hitting her knee. “Just take the picture and show it to him in person then.” I said. We looked eyes for a moment and I could see the dejection in her clear blue eyes. She flared her nostrils and blinked repeatedly, chewing on her lip as if she were trying to fight off unwanted tears.

“No it’s uh…. just a few decades too late for that.” She murmured, pursing her lips. I felt my face fall as I came to the realization that her father was no longer alive. I looked back at Nadine and she frowned sadly as well. Chloe seemed almost too relaxed for that statement. But I’m sure it still hurt….

“Chloe, I—”

“Oh. Oh god no. It’s fine. It was a long time ago.” She said cutting me off with a smile. It was a good act but I knew it bothered her. However, I didn’t want to push. So I left it alone. “Shall we head for Halebidu?” She asked us with a bright smile. I took a deep breath and nodded with a small smile. Nadine did the same. “Then let’s hop to it!” She exclaimed, clapping her hands. With that, we started off walking along the cliffs. 

There was a gap between us and the path to the statues, filled with so much fog we couldn’t even see what was below us. And  _ that _ worried me. “Follow along!” Chloe called, throwing her grappling hook to the branch of a twisted tree and swinging to the other side, landing with ease. It was almost like old times again. When she and Nate taught me everything they knew. I was still a wuss for heights. My eyes widened and my heart began to pound. ‘ _ Fuck, I’m really doin’ this… _ ’ I thought, looking down into the foggy void. I unhooked my rope from my hip, nervously staring at the gap between Chloe and myself. I groaned as my breathing turned shallow. “Just like I taught you before, love! All in the wrists!” She shouted across to me. I looked at Nadine over my shoulder and she gave me a supportive nod. I grumbled incoherently and tossed the rope to the branch. Lucky for me, it latched on perfectly. I tugged on it to make sure it wouldn’t come loose and readied myself at the edge of the cliff, gripping onto the rope for dear life. ‘ _ I’m gonna fuckin’ do it….. fuck…. _ ’ I thought. And I hesitated.

“Shit…” I cursed under my breath.

“Sunny.” I heard Nadine say. I turned to look at her. “Are you holding on?”

“Yeah! Sorry I’m ju— _ AHHHH!!!! _ ” Just as I answered, Nadine poked my shoulder forcefully with a single finger and pushed me off the cliff. I fell screaming bloody murder until the rope tightened and swung over to the other side. My eyes were shut tight as I swung back and forth. I could hear Chloe calling me. I opened one eye to see myself swinging back to Nadine’s side.

“Jump to me!” Chloe yelled. As the momentum sent me swinging back to her, I squealed and jumped just as she said. My body began free falling until I landed on my two feet just barely at the edge of the cliff. But she grabbed my forearm to steady me and pulled me onto solid ground. I dropped to my hands and knees with a loud groan. I couldn’t believe I’d just done that. Nadine made her way across easily and Chloe rubbed my back gently, handing me my rope back. “Good job, hun!” She told me as I looked up at Nadine. She smirked at me and I just snarled a little.

“Fuck you.” I said plainly as I stood up. The two burst into a giggle as I walked ahead of them. “I’m glad my fear of heights is comedy gold for you. Thank you so much.” I mumbled. Little did I know that this was just the tip of the iceberg...

  
  


I found myself hanging off the edge of Ganesh’s hand. Yes. The statue. The too big to be real statue. I felt like I was going to be sick. My stomach turned the higher and higher we ascended. Nothing about this was remotely okay to me. How everyone was just okay with climbing things like this just blew me away. “I find it funny though…” Chloe mentioned.

“How so?” I asked sarcastically, tired of the climbing shit.

“You hate heights and yet you still manage to go along with us climbing everything.” Chloe laughed.

“Must be a glutton for torture.” Nadine joked. I growled. I could never be them. Go to all these great heights and hold a pleasant conversation? No. I was too busy worrying about falling to my death for that. As I pulled myself up on the ledge of Ganesh’s scepter, I hugged the wall as a brush of wind blew by, almost knocking me over. My heart was in my throat now and I could feel a few tears coming on.

“Hurry up, Sunflower! We’re almost at the top!” I heard Chloe shout from above as I shivered. I huffed and hit the wall with my palm for a second.

“Sorry, Ganesh.” I mumbled in annoyance as I began to start clambering up the ledges again. Before I knew it, these crazy women had me swinging from one statue to the other. Once I reached the other side, I doubled over and threw up. Nauseously, I sat down with my back against a wall for a second. That was it. That did it for me. I knew that after that, scaling anything else was going to be a piece of cake from then on. At least I could only hope. We climbed a little more later. Chloe has a few close calls and I damn near broke a ledge but we all had each other’s backs until the end. As we struggled to get over the last ledge, the three of us managed to stand on a narrow piece of stone at the top of Ganesh’s hand, overlooking Halebidu’s green mountains and tall rocks. It was incredible. I shook my head. This was all too magical looking to be real. A gust of wind blew by, almost knocking us over again but we gripped onto each other, holding one another steady. I watched as the two women looked at each other, exchanging heartwarming smiles. Chloe threw an arm over my shoulder as we watched the clouds part.

“I’m proud of you, love. You did it.” She whispered to me. It was like receiving high praise from a well respected mentor. A bit of pride swelled in my chest as I admired the result of all the climbing. The risk was definitely worth the view.

“Now… how do we get off this thing?” Nadine asked as Chloe pulled out her camera. “Really?! Jesus Chloe.” She smiled bashfully as she snapped the picture of her balancing herself on Ganesh’s hand.

“When are you gonna be back here?!” Chloe reasoned cutely. She’d begun flirting with her more lately. It was almost blatant. Then she turned to me and snapped a few of me walking away like a baby deer. We found ourselves swinging to a mudslide and dropping into the hole at the crown just as Nadine pointed out.

We followed her down into an opening in the floor. Sliding down by rope, we dropped between two more massive statues. One of Parashurama raising his axe and the other, an unarmed and yielding Ganesh. The drop was a long one for sure but considering what I had just climbed, I wasn’t even bothered anymore. When we reached the bottom, we found a crack in the wall. This led to yet another one of my blessed phobias. The ground was littered with the armored barebones of what seemed to be the Persians and Hoysala fighters. ‘ _ Of course there’s skeletons. Why would there not be skeletons? _ ’ I thought to myself slightly panicking. It was dark and dank in the passageway. I bit my lip so hard it bled a little as we walked around a bit. I listened to Chloe talk about how brutal the war was, shining my flashlight along the walls and dirty floors. We crawled through a tight space and I once again almost cried, being so close to the broken bones along the floor. It led us to a room with a door similar to the one from the fort. Knowing what to do, Chloe pressed the button. Only this time there were no handles to turn. The door just lifted, opening up to what seemed like a dungeon, a fire pit igniting in the middle of the room.

“Is this some sorta freaky Indian ritual or somethin’?” I asked nervously as I looked at the eerie scene. There were just a bunch of bones this time. There were whole  _ piles _ of bones lined around the room. Chloe hissed.

“No… They’re mostly partial to cremation…”

“Ah…” I nodded, looking around. I didn’t really care about the answer in all honesty. I just wanted to get the hell out of there. Unfortunately there were only more rooms like this. They were the last of the men to defend the tusk to their deaths. After pulling out an armored body that was wedged in it, we squeezed through a crack in the wall that led us to a smoky room with a large device in the middle of the floor. There were depictions of Parashurama being gifted his axe from Shiva on one wall and Parashurama using that same axe to chop off Ganesh’s tusk. In this device were a bunch of skewed pieces that cast shadows on the wall. “What the hell….” I said looking at it.

“Hope you don’t mind doing a bit of thinking, Spurrs. Looks like this could take a while.” Nadine told me.

“Yes…. yes it could…” I said as I walked around the room cautiously. The gears in my head began to turn as I tried to figure out the point of it and how to solve it. But it was rather simple. I had to mix the pieces to form a shadow that would match the pictures on the walls. “Take a load off, girls. I got this.” I said walking around to examine the device again.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Sunny’s POV_ **

This device was  _ balls. _ It was irksome to my very core. It took me at least a good forty-five minutes to solve. The goddamn thing was a scrambler. Not that I couldn’t figure them out, but with the way my brain worked, they tended to take the longest. But eventually I got it and a door suddenly opened from across the room. I gasped in shock that I’d actually done it. Never on a job before had I doubted myself so much. Maybe it was because of Chloe being there; Maybe because of Nadine being there; Maybe I just felt a little less than and it was messing with my confidence… Chloe placed a proud hand on my shoulder as she passed by me, jogging into the next room. Nadine and I followed suit. It was a dark room; planted in front of us was a statue of Sala and the tiger. And placed before it, looked like a slot for the disc. Chloe pulled it from her jeans pocket and placed it in the key hole. Loudly, the stone door dropped shut, causing me to jump and the lamps around the room ignited flames for lighting.

“That’s totally normal, right?” I asked and Chloe just looked around as multiple things were happening at once. 

“Uhhh…. yes?” She answered. She didn’t know. I didn’t even know why I asked her to begin with. 

“Just don’t get us killed…” Nadine seethed. “Relax, Nadine. You’ll live longer.” She chuckled. I shook my head, looking about the eerie room. 

“I’m with Ross on this one, sis. This don’t look safe worth a damn.” I told her nervously.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” She shrugged. I could hear Nadine grunt at her carelessness as she took a few steps back. Gears in the key hole locked it into place and she turned it carefully. I watched as the picture on it shifted layer by layer. “Hold on…” Chloe bent to look at it as the picture changed, straining her eyes to catch every detail. The disc turned in its slot as pieces moved around it, turning it from a depiction of the great battle to one of the Protector of Belur.

“Holy Shiva….” I sighed in awe.

“My thoughts exactly…” Chloe agreed. The gears released the disc and she carefully pulled it out, hoping it wouldn’t catch her fingers or something. A loud rumble suddenly echoed throughout the small quarters and streams of water poured from the walls like a faucet. My heart skipped a moment as the floor beneath us wiggled us off balance a bit.

“Frazer!”

“Ross!”

“Mother bitch….” I mumbled to myself as the ceiling began to open up, making a face as bright sunlight began streaming into the poorly lit room. It seemed as if the ceiling was getting closer and closer though. That’s when I realized the water was pooling beneath the floor, raising us up in an elevator like fashion.

“No, no. I think we’re going to be okay…” Chloe said as she probably had the same realization I did. Nadine growled in anger. It was finally starting to get to her.

“ _ ‘Okay? _ ’ I don’t wanna be just okay— Where’s the tusk?!” She snapped. Chloe smized at her as she began to pace.

“I dunno— this doesn’t make any sense!” Chloe exclaimed. I was just as confused as her. We did  _ everything _ . We did the puzzles, we did the scrambler, we dodged killer statues; we followed every single bread crumb the Hoysala could’ve left us. And still we came up with nothing. I scratched a spot on my head and placed my hands on my hips, staring at my feet.

“Yeah it does. The Hoysala sent us on a fool’s errand!” She shouted in frustration. I watched as Chloe stared at the new disc intently. I refused to believe that this was all for not shit. I could tell Chloe did too. She knew there was more to this. I saw her mouthing things to herself, her mind exploding with facts and evidence to push us forward. Nadine scoffed at the situation before Chloe spoke up.

“No… I think you’re right….” she said. Nadine laughed in annoyance.

“Oh terrific—”

“No hear me out…” Chloe began, pacing as she stared at the disc in her hands. I knelt down for a while. My feet were beginning to hurt and I had yet to take a break. Now seemed as good a time as any. I looked up as Chloe began to lay out her brain map for us. “Ganesh was the symbol of…”

“Halebidu.”

“And Shiva was the symbol of…”

“Belur.” I answered.

“Which is the  _ old _ …”

“Old capital.” Nadine and I looked at each other as it began to click simultaneously. 

“ _ Mother bitch… _ ” I chuckled. The Hoysala were smart as hell.

“What if they built this  _ spectacular  _ city and it made a perfect target for the Persians?” Chloe told us. Nadine smirked, rather impressed by the old battle strategy.

“And the old capital was forgotten…” she grinned.

“So this city was a fake-me-out?” I chuckled.

“Precisely… What if they let it get plundered to protect Belur?”

“And the treasure….” Nadine gave a hopeful smile.

“I’m beginning to think the treasure... _ was never here at all… _ ” Chloe proposed. Her conclusion blew my mind. I shook my head in disbelief.

“Hooo boy… this is elaborate as fuck.” I grinned running my fingers through my tangled curls. Then the question occurred to me. “So then where’s Belur?” Almost as if the Gods wanted us to fight for our lives to find our answer, the floor got stuck and wobbled uncontrollably.

“This is definitely  _ not _ supposed to happen!” Nadine yelled over the rumbling and creaking of the contraption. I rose to my feet carefully and suddenly the ground began to tilt. “IT’S COMING LOOSE!”

“Grab the edge, quick!” I heard Chloe shout. I ran to the middle of the floor to grab hold of the gold painted stone as the floor broke off of its chains and we were left hanging on for dear life. Rocks tumbled and crashed around us as chaos ensued around us. One rock came slamming down near Chloe, breaking her ledge and sending her to plummet.

“CHLOE!” I exclaimed, fearing that she didn’t make it.

“I’M OKAY! JUST GO!” I heard her shout below me. Adrenaline began coursing through my veins and I began to climb as fast as I could without getting hit by the falling debris. When we got to the top, I watched Nadine run across the top and onto a broken set of stairs.

“This way!” She yelled. I looked back to make sure Chloe was okay but she was right behind me. I followed Nadine across and over to the stairs, water began to burst from the walls as we were running away from the collapsing room. The weight from the water soaking my clothes made me feel like I was slowing down but I wouldn’t be caught dying here. It just wasn’t in the cards for me yet. Just as I thought the three of us had cleared, a blast of water erupted from the wall near us suddenly, sending Chloe flying off of the stairway. “Frazer!”

“I’m fine! Just go!!” I heard Chloe shout. She was just as bad as Nathan. Nothing could kill her. I watched as she pulled herself back up on the stairs and continued to follow Nadine. Everything was happening so fast; my heart was beating like a hammer and my breathing was sharp. We climbed a statue that was just beginning to come loose. After we made it, we both reached out for Chloe to take our hands and pulled her up to safety as the ruins below us crashed into rubble. When we were finally on solid ground, I dropped on all fours and emptied the last of the contents in my stomach into the hole we’d just crawled out of. I thought I was fine but I guess I still had a bit of fear left in me. The whole situation was too close a call. I leaned back with my head in a bed of moss to catch my breath. When I looked over at the girls, they were just giggling.

“You okay?” Chloe asked me. I nodded slowly.

“Uh huh…. I’ll live.” I mumbled.

“How the hell are we still alive?” Nadine chuckled.

“Raw talent and a bit of luck, I’d say.” Chloe laughed, ruffling my hair. I sighed in brief comfort before she turned to put her hand in the air. “Put it there, partner!” Nadine raised her hand too only to deliver a poor excuse of a high five. We teased her about it and shared a small laugh together. It was amazing the three of us had made it this far. I was sort of proud of us. Then I watched the two women share a moment of sweetness. Just trading compliments. Nothing cliche’ like “you’re so cute” or “god you’re amazing”. More along the lines of appreciation for each other’s being there. Of course I got a small bout of praise from them both to deflect the fact that they were absolutely flirting with each other though. It was cute. I looked up at the sky and noticed it was now covered with thick dark clouds. It was going to rain soon; I could smell it in the air. ‘ _ Like we needed more water… _ ’ I thought, sucking my teeth. I crawled to join the girls at the edge and looked out at the view. It was familiar looking.

“Correct me if I’m wrong but…. wasn’t there a huge waterfall here?” Nadine suddenly asked. When I looked around, I noticed we were right in between the two statues of Ganesh again. We’d come around somewhat of a full circle.

“There was…” Chloe answered. Suddenly, we heard a rumble and from the either side of the dam was a properly working aqueduct. They seemed to be channeling from the falls.

“We just did that…” I mumbled.

“Well… technically  _ I did _ —”

“Cocky!” Nadine chuckled, hitting Chloe’s knee playfully. I’d never seen her smile so much. I watched as she stared at Chloe, a look of enamour sweeping over her for a moment before a guilty expression took its place. “Look…. if I cut too close to the bone back there—”

“Really… it’s okay.” Chloe told her with a warm smile. If I didn’t know any better, Chloe was starting to pick up what she was putting down. The last time I’d seen her like this was when she and Nathan used to have a thing. I remembered her pulling me aside during a job back then, asking me all sorts of questions and if I was interested like a giddy teenager. I smirked to myself, happy for her. But considering that we were still on the job, there was no time to dilly dally.

“So I hate to interrupt but um… we were loud as shit just now and there’s no way that went unnoticed so we should probably go before they get here.” I told them, standing up and taking a deep breath.

“You’re right. Let’s get going.” Chloe said standing and offering a hand to Nadine. Shyly, she took it and Chloe pulled her to her feet. “Let’s just follow the aqueduct down?” 

“Sounds like a plan.” I said stretching my limbs. The only thing I really wanted right then was a cigarette but seeing as they were soaking wet, I couldn’t really do that. My hands were getting jittery from the need for nicotine but I shook it off as best as I could. 

It wasn’t long before we had a run-in with a few insurgents. We took them out rather easily. One by one as always. And just like that, we’d found ourselves in a shootout. I pulled my knife and cut a few guys up to steal a gun, I’d left the bag in the 4x4. I managed to grab hold of an AK-47 and took cover. We began to take aim at the men, either injuring them badly or just straight up killing them. It was hard to tell from a distance. Just then, an armored truck crashed through the wall of the ruins, spraying bullets. I could practically hear them cutting through the air above us. 

“IT’S ASAV! WE HAVE TO GO!” Nadine shouted. She took the lead and we followed her around the ruins, avoiding the truck and taking out more insurgents if we could. We jumped into the running waters of the aqueduct and swam to a broken platform where a man took post, bullets from Asav’s truck chasing our every move. We climbed the platform and Chloe threw a solid punch to his nose, Nadine sent a strong kick to his rib cage, and I delivered the final blow, slicing his neck with my knife and kicking him over the edge. Without even thinking about it, I threw my rope around a tree branch above me and swung across from one ruin to another. “TO THE BUILDING!” I heard Nadine shout above the chaotic gunfire. We had to move quickly. We climbed walls, took cover behind pillars, and tag teamed anyone we could. We had each other’s backs. I felt honored to be a part of this team of impeccable women. Adrenaline rushed inside me as I powered towards a man in light armor, releasing a steady stream of bullets. My intention was to keep shooting until they pierced through his vest but my gun suddenly jammed. 

“You’re fuckin’ kiddin’ me!” I snapped. The man laughed at me thinking it would be easy to take me down but it was just the opposite. Thinking quickly, I flipped the gun in my hands and swiped the heavy hilt at his knees, damn near breaking them. When he fell down, I snatched his gun from him and put two shots in his face. He stopped moving after that.

“Sunny! Over here!” Chloe yelled to me pointing to the building before us. I jumped into the water, swimming through a channel of water to the building. A few men pointed their guns to shoot at us. I ran to take cover and just when I was about to take aim, the black armored truck plowed through the wall, kicking up all kinds of dust and whatever. I took cover again as it began to fire. It shot its bullets not at us but at the platform where we were until it began to shift. “Oh no!” Chloe began to slide down with the piece she stood on slipped into the aqueduct. Quickly, she pulled her rope and managed to wrap it around a tree branch. She swung back to the way we came. She had to find her way around again. I hopped over the gap and into Nadine’s strong arms before we ran down the side of the building. Bullets still tailed us and Chloe managed to get to the door before we did. We pushed it but it didn’t budge. “Help me with this!” Chloe yelled. She took one door and Nadine took the other. I stood in the middle for some extra oomph. They drove their shoulders into the heavy doors as I kicked as hard as I could. Within a good three tries, the doors flung open and we rushed inside to close the doors behind us quickly. Just as we barged in, the bricks beneath us crumbled under our weight and we dropped a good little distance before crashing to the watery ground. I got the wind knocked out of me a bit and threw a coughing fit, rolling over on my side and gasping for air a little. We didn’t move after we fell. We just laid there in the water and took a moment to catch our breaths, groaning in pain.

“Persistent asshole, aye?” Chloe laughed after a moment of silence. Nadine and I chuckled.

“Shit, you’re tellin’ me!” I wheezed. “Fuck I need to quit smokin’....” 

“You’d be better off for it.” Nadine laughed and I giggled a little. I stared up at the hole we’d just fallen from and around the massive room. It was cold and dark, pillars placed around the room with creepy skulls carved into them. We stood up and turned our flashlights on to get a better look at the place and walked around a bit. “Where are we?”

“I don’t know but at least we’re not in the line of fire.” Chloe grumbled. 

“Yeah well…. let’s hope we can find a way outta here.” I said, clearing my throat. Just then I heard Nadine calling us. We went over to find her looking down at a slab with metal restraints and a few channels on it. “Creepy…” I shivered.

“Yeah I doubt that’s for channeling  _ water _ …” Chloe commented. It was for torture. Nadine grimaced at the realization and stood to look elsewhere. 

We followed Chloe through a tunnel beneath broken ruins until we could see a bit of light at the end of it. I sighed in relief. Thank god, some place that was remotely peaceful. Or so I thought. We’d found ourselves jumping into what looked like a holding cell for prisoners. Skeletons were lined up, still chained to the wall. A couple rats scurried by my feet among the light eerie fog that swirled upon the ground. “Eeee…..” I shivered, looking around the cell.

“It’s not that bad. I’d personally prefer being locked away in a cell than tortured.” Nadine commented as she bent down to look at the bones. I shuddered and went to the bars of the cell, pulling on them with a grunt.

“Duly noted.” Chloe replied in a cheeky tone. I smirked at their strange attempts at flirting with each other. They’d figure it out eventually though. Chloe sighed and looked around in confusion as I scanned the bars. “So  _ now _ how do we get out.” She asked. An exit was in sight, just outside the cell. A breach from missing bricks in the wall up high. I placed my hands on my hips and took a step back, looking up. There was a big opening at the top. All we had to do was climb.

“Follow me, ladies.” I said as I cracked my knuckles and began to climb the gate, swinging my legs over the top and hopping down. “Easy peasy.” As I landed, I could hear a faint echoing sound of running water. I followed the sound to a hole that led into the tunneled channel.

“What did you find, hun?” I heard Chloe say as her boots hit the ground. I turned around to watch Nadine drop and follow behind her.

“Aqueduct. That’s all.” I shrugged walking away and pointing towards the other wall. “Also found us a way out.” 

“That’s promising!” Chloe jogged over and began to climb the wall and assess the situation. Suddenly, just as she reached the top, something massive smashed through the wall. It was Asav’s truck. Chloe fell onto the roof with a hard thump and rolled down the front of the car as it came to a halt. Chloe yelled as she landed on her side, probably fracturing something as the doors to the car opened up. 

A tall, barrel chested man hopped down; his boots landed in the dirt with a hard thud as Chloe groaned at her pain, writhing on the ground a moment. He had a surprisingly handsome facade, his beard trimmed neatly and salt and peppered perfectly. The curve at the bridge of his nose held up his gold wire spectacles, intense dark eyes, narrowing at us from behind them. His hair was neat and combed off of his face professionally. Two men jumped from the truck behind him, dressed in cheap camo fatigues with heavy guns. One struck Nadine down with the hilt of his gun. She grunted in pain as his foot kicked her in the stomach. The other shoved the hilt of his into my diaphragm. I fell to the dirt, coughing and holding my stomach as he pointed his long gun at me, ready to pull the trigger at the command of his leader. I watched Chloe struggle to crawl towards the disc that had been knocked out of her pocket when she was hit but the spectacled man picked it up, humming to himself. 

“The Eye of Shiva.” He said in a much softer voice than I had expected as he admired the disc. He made a face, flexing his lip and sighing in frustration as he nodded. “Impressive.”

“Thanks. There was nothin’ to it. I mean, it was really easy.” I said. The man turned to look at me quietly before an eerily soft smile graced his lips in amusement.

“I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure… I am Asav.” he said, his towering, bulky frame walking over to me as the man who held me at gunpoint grabbed me by my collar and forced me to sit up on my knees. I realized then that I shouldn’t have opened my mouth. He knelt down to my level as I grabbed my captor’s wrist to steady myself. I boldly stared straight into his eyes as I did with any man I met. I wasn’t going to let myself be intimidated by any man and I certainly wasn’t going to start with him. I smirked as my eyes narrowed at him, sizing him up.

“Nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot. Sunflower Spurrs. Collector of Antiquities.” I said, proudly. He chuckled as his face turned into one of disapproval. He looked at me as if I were nothing to him.

“Another thief.” He huffed in a low tone. I raised my eyebrow as he continued. “Ms. Ross, I must say you have aligned yourself with fleas.” He said looking over at Nadine then back to myself. “I have to give the three of you credit, though. My men worked for weeks and turned up with  _ nothing. _ ”

“Well, I  _ did _ offer. Maybe you hired the wrong expert.” Chloe grunted, sitting up on her knees, clutching at her side as she hissed in pain. My hands started to shake as the man above me shoved the barrel of his gun into the back of my head.

“Perhaps.” He nodded in agreement, standing up as he turned towards the aqueduct wall and knocked out a few more loose bricks to open up the hole in the wall more. He took a moment to himself, choosing his next words very carefully. “You know, a young Hoysala poet once wrote of a young king… who showed mercy, and thus ended our rituals. But the  _ old kings _ , they understood that progress demands…  _ sacrifice… _ ” He presses the palms of his hands together as if he believed every word he’d spoken was the gospel. I winced as he talked. Chloe scoffed as the man who held Nadine pulled her arm behind her back. 

“Is that what you tell your men?” She sassed. They held a bold gaze with each other, neither of them backing down. Finally, Asav sniffled after the moments of silence.

“All right.” He grumbled, pulling a handgun from his holster and kneeling down to look her in the eyes as he checked the clip in his gun. “So. In times of war— these aqueducts would run  _ red _ through the capital. Those who would not fight had to be used to inspire those who would.” He said growled, standing abruptly as he cocked his pistol and pointed it at her head.

“CHLOE!” I shouted in fear as my heart rate spiked. I tried to fight against my captor’s grasp but he had a good grip on me. With his free hand he hung his gun over his shoulder and struck me across the soft pad of my lower lip. I squealed in pain. I even teared up a little. 

Suddenly, I noticed Nadine had gotten the best of her captor and strongly uppercut him in the lower jaw. Asav turned his head to observe the scene just for him to be caught off guard by Chloe. As the two began to fight, I pulled the knife I acquired earlier in the day and stabbed my captor in the foot. He helped in pain, loosening his grip on me. I took the opportunity to turn around and slice at the ligaments at the back of his knees. He fell down before me and without a second thought, I buried the knife deep in his chest. When I looked to check on the other’s, Nadine had already taken down her man and charged towards Asav to assist Chloe. She kicked him in his side knocking him off balance and he turned his attention to her as Chloe tried to stand. I rushed to help her to her feet while Nadine and Asav fought blow for blow expertly. That was until she threw a rather predictable kick and he caught her leg, his free hand wrapped around her throat. He took her entire body mass to the air and slammed her into the small group of pottery gathered near the aqueduct. I figured I’d give it a shot to give Chloe a bit of time to recover. I stepped forward with a fist raised and my knife in hand. I let him make the first move. He swung a long hefty right hook and I managed to dodge it. A knee rose to strike my stomach but I backed away quickly, dodging and blocking it as well. I turned to roundhouse him but he grabbed a hold of my left leg tightly just as he’d done to Nadine. But I had room to use my other leg. Pulling all the strength from my core, I swung my right leg up to kick the side of his head and he let me go. I left his lip bleeding a bit but that was all. I flipped the knife in my hands, blade side up, and stared him in his eyes, carefully watching his every move. We sparred for a bit and I managed to at least nick his cheek with the knife. Pissed off, he growled and began to charge at me when Nadine had suddenly jumped up onto his back, wrapping her arms tight around his neck. Chloe, seemingly recovered for the moment, took the opportunity with me to deliver a few cheap shots. Kicks, punches, knees. But it didn’t last long. He was soon free, knocking Nadine off. He grabbed Chloe by the shoulders and tossed her halfway across the room. She rolled roughly, receiving various cuts and scrapes. He stalked over to grab her by the throat, squeezing it with the intent to kill. 

“You see, to rule people, you must first sow chaos.” He said strongly as Chloe panicked, pawing at his hands around her neck. This man was crazy. Scary even. A whole other level than Rafe. As Chloe struggled against him, I gathered up all the courage I had to charge towards him. He simply reached out to grab my face with a tight grip, staring devilishly into my eyes. It actually shook me a little. With a growl, he threw me into the wall like I was a rag doll. I whimpered as my back and head hit the hard brick. Deliriously, I grabbed my head with both hands, covering my eyes and trying to snap out of it quickly but my head was throbbing.

“I will incite civil war! Stamp out the weak bloodline of the young king.  _ Starting with you _ —” He then gripped even tighter, boring holes into her skull and bearing his teeth as he pulled her closer. Suddenly, Nadine attacked, she jumped on his back and began pounding the side of his head with a strong savage fist. When I was able to stand again, I ran in and began kicking his diaphragm repeatedly. Chloe strolled up and punched him one good time before two reinforcements came in and both grabbed her by the arms. I pulled my knife and cut them down with ease. Asav knocked Nadine off again and began to choke her just as he’d done to Chloe against the aqueduct wall. I ran in to try and drive a wedge between them as Chloe punched him in the face, followed by a sucker punch from Nadine, breaking his glasses in half. He stumbled back, shaking off his brief delirium and grabbing Chloe by the shoulders. With much force, he tossed her body at Nadine and I, breaking the wall behind us and sending us sliding down the aqueduct channel.

I struggled to swim against the rough waters and stay afloat. “Grab something!” I heard Chloe shout as the end of the channel began to approach. “Anything!” I looked around and pulled on my rope, hoping I’d find something to latch onto. As we jumped from the channel to a rock slide, a ruin appeared in front of us. I threw my rope around one of the pillars as we slide off of the slope and like the idiot I tended to be, I didn’t really think. I ended up swinging face first into the ruin. I let go and fell a few feet. Laying on my back I stared up as I watched Chloe grab the edge of the ruin. Under her grip, the ledge broke off suddenly, barely giving her a chance to react. She fell right next to me, hitting her head on the way down. Her body dropped next to me motionless. Not a groan or a sigh left her lips.

“Chloe… Chloe?!” I exclaimed, shaking her in a panic. She wasn’t answering me. “Nadine!!!” I screamed as she began to climb down the ruin. She landed more gracefully than the both of us.

“Frazer!!” She shouted running to her side. I’d never seen her so worried. She pressed her fingers to her neck and put her ear to her mouth and sighed in slight relief. “She’s breathing. She just knocked herself out.”

“So then what do we do?” I asked almost on the verge of tears.

“We wait… She’ll come to, eventually.” She sighed, picking up Chloe’s hand and holding it in hers tightly. I groaned as I sat up and crawled to lean my back against the ruin. My body stung and my head was pounding. Although I was worried about my friend, I was glad to catch a little bit of rest for a moment. I just hoped that she’d wake up soon...

  
  
  



	14. Chapter 14

**_Sunny’s POV_ **

  
  


We sat for some time and almost thirty minutes passed. Mostly in silence. I let my mind wander to various places as I did. My body ached and I was tired. I could only hope the job would come to an end soon. And with Chloe down for the moment… It was an extra stressor I didn’t think I’d come across. Of all the people, I wasn’t ready to let her go just yet. Nadine, on the other hand, never left Chloe’s side. She just knelt there, holding her hand, brushing her dark locks off of her sculpted face sadly. “You really care about her, huh?” I asked. She silently nodded and ran a hand down her arm with the faintest smile.

“It’s not like I meant to.” She said.

“I hear that…” I grumbled. It was the same way with Sam. I didn’t ask for him. I didn’t go looking for him. He just showed up in my life and feelings followed. Almost like I didn’t have a choice. She blinked at her a moment.

“She’s just so….”

“Yeah… She’s Chloe.” I said in understanding. She blew me away the first time I met her myself. I didn’t trust her completely back then but she was really something. Nowadays, I trusted her with my life. Nadine shook her head.

“I’ve never felt like this. I don’t do feelings much.” She made a slightly frightened expression. Much like the one I made when I had begun to get close with Sam.

“Hop on the train, sis.” I huffed, picking the dirt from beneath my nails. “The best things happen when you don’t go lookin’ for ‘em…” I told her.

“I suppose that’s true.” She said, running her thumb over Chloe’s swollen knuckles carefully. A moment of silence passed over us before I spoke at random again.

“I’m hungry.”

“I brought MRE’s.”

“Ew, did you really?” I made a face of disgust and groaned. “Why can’t you bring a bag of Doritos like a normal person?” I sighed and she chuckled lightly. Then we were quiet again.

“I’m sorry I shot you. Back in Libertalia, I mean.” She said suddenly. I looked up at her and the corner of my lips turned up lopsidedly.

“It’s okay. In your position, I’m sure I had it comin’. I’m not the easiest.”

“No you weren’t. But I respected it. You’ve been doubting yourself a lot this trip. Don’t. Just trust your instincts. You’re a good treasure hunter, Spurrs. Above all things, don’t forget that.” She told me with a nod. I was taken aback. A compliment from Nadine Ross that didn’t completely suck.  _ And an apology?! _ I pursed my lips and nodded with her in understanding. It actually meant a lot. Even after all she’d done, I had nothing but respect for a woman of color running her own business and handling her shit. 

Suddenly, we heard a faint groan. Both of our eyes were drawn to Chloe and she began to flutter her eyes open. “Frazer?” Nadine said softly, looking over her. 

“Hmm?” Her eyes darted around as if trying to figure out where she was. 

“You okay?” Nadine asked. Chloe didn’t move yet, she just kind of laid there to get herself together, like she was waking from a long nap. 

“Mm… I think so.” She said, trying to get up. I crawled over to sit next to her and helped her sit up.

“Woah, woah, sis. Take it easy…” I said gently, cradling her head in my hand as she sat up straight and Nadine rubbed a soothing hand over her back.

“You’ve been out for almost half an hour.” She informed her.

“Half an hour?”

“Ja.”

“Oh, shit…  _ Shit…. Asav’s got the disc! _ ” Chloe grunted, forcing herself to stand, regardless of the pain she felt. “We’ve gotta get going!”

“Alright, Chlo—” I said, trying to calm her down as we helped her up.

“We have to hurry or he’s gonna get away—”

“ _ Frazer, relax! _ ” Nadine snapped at her. “Just relax, all right?” She needed to calm down. She was pushing herself way too hard for the fall she’d just taken. Chloe clutched at her side and threw her head back to take a deep breath.

“You good, Chlo?” I asked in worry.

“Yeah, Yeah… I’m good. I can manage.” She said, catching her breath. I nodded as I gave her a once over for any other injuries. “I’ve had worse nights, believe me.”

“I won’t ask.” Nadine chuckled. I smiled in relief that she was okay enough to still make jokes as I looked at the enamor on Nadine’s face. That same look she had on her face when she passed out was still there even as she was awake. She was in love with her and she couldn’t stop it. “It’s good to have you back…” was all she could say.

“There’s….” Chloe began to mumble incoherently. “There’s two of you now, right? Or is that just Sunny?” I laughed and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m right here, shug.” I smirked as she made a dazed expression.

“Shit…” she said and I giggled. “Let’s go get our disc, ladies.”

“And some guns.” Nadine added.

“Yes… and some guns.” She agreed. I placed a hand on her back and assisted her a bit up the half broken stone stairway and wherever she needed to go.

“Um… can I just say—  _ you were not joking about Asav! _ ” Chloe raved.

“Right?! Jesus H!” I exclaimed.

“I mean he looks  _ soo _ unassuming.” She looked surprise.

“Right? But that’s exactly what he wants. I’m pretty sure those glasses are an affectation.”

“To look harmless or smart?”

“Both.” Nadine chuckled. “But he is smart. He was a doctor before he took up his cause.”

“He looks like a doctor.” I mumbled. “So wait! He left a good job to be a piece of shit?!”

“Pretty much. Ja.”

“Men are so stupid.” I frowned, shaking my head. “Even the smart ones.” 

  
  


The stairs eventually led us right back outside where we were, on the cliffs, facing the statues of Ganesh. We kept chatting as we began to climb a few rocky walls, each of us assisting Chloe when we could. On the way, she stopped a moment to get one last look at Halebidu. It really was beautiful. It was a shame we had to leave it the way we did. Going back towards the gate, we pulled on the crank to open the stoney doors just as we had before. When they opened, a great statue rose in the distance behind where we parked the 4x4. “A cow?” I asked in confusion.

“That’s Nandi. Shiva’s gatekeeper.” Chloe grinned brightly. It sent a warm and pleasant feeling through me. 

“Well, Holy Cow…” I marveled looking at what I considered a statue of hope. The girls giggled as I rested my arms on top of my head.

“That’s got to be the entrance to the old capital.” Chloe said tapping my side with the back of her hand as Nadine pulled out her binoculars to get a better look.

“Did the aqueducts have anything to do with that?” I asked. Chloe just nodded.

“I’m betting so.” She grinned.

“Ah, shit…” I heard Nadine curse. I looked at her just as she made a sour face. Chloe noticed it, too.

“What is it, China?” She asked. I stared at her awaiting her answer in genuine curiosity. 

“Asav’s already down there…”

“Then what the fuck are we standin’ around here for, let’s skip to it—” I said, suddenly surging with adrenaline and beginning to walk off. I was ready for a rematch with that Asav guy. He got the jump on me the first time.

“ _ Piss off….  _ No….” she said, suddenly. Her arm deadweighted as a gobsmacked expression played on her roughed up face. I stopped in my tracks, puzzled.

“What do you mean ‘ _ no _ ’?” Chloe asked, snatching the binoculars and looking through them herself. She too froze in place with a slight gasp.

“Sam Drake.” Nadine grunted. “His goddamned ‘ _ expert _ ’ is Sam Drake?!”

My eyes widened and my heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name. Immediately, I snatched the binoculars from Chloe’s grasp and peered through them myself, looking about frantically. I let out some inaudible type of noise in surprise when I saw him. They were all down there at the entrance, insurgents filing out of the back of the massive 4x4. Jumping out right behind them was indeed Samuel Drake, bound in handcuffs with a killer poker face, still dressed in the clothes I last saw him in when I dropped him off at the airport. I slowly pulled the binoculars from my eyes in shock.  _ ‘Shit…. _ ’ I thought as I looked over at the women beside me. Chloe closed her eyes and nodded slightly, accepting that she had to come clean now. Nadine, however, looked dead at me like a bull with sights set on a matador. Her fists clenched tightly and I could practically see the steam leaving her ears. I shook my head, knowing exactly what was about to happen. I’m not scared of anyone. Especially not a man. But Nadine….

“It’s not what you think—” I started, shoving the binoculars into Chloe’s chest and quickly backing away as she started for me. I tripped over my own feet on the way and fell to the ground roughly, still crawling back as she raised her fist. “Fuck—” I exclaimed as she got ready to swing on me. 

“Ross, wait!” Chloe exclaimed, running towards us to stop her but it was too late. Nadine dropped her fist on my cheek like a two ton weight. My head knocked back into the stone and moss, disorienting me a little bit as I yelped in pain. Chloe wrapped her arms around her and pulled her away from me before she could do anymore damage than that. “Nadine, stop!” She shouted but Nadine still tried lunging for me.

“Have the two of you been conspiring against us this whole time?! Wanting to swoop in and take it for yourselves, you little shit thief—”

“NADINE!” Chloe shouted, holding her face to make her look at her. I stayed on the ground to lick my wounds, wiping at the blood leaking from my lip and nose as I looked at the guilt on her face. Nadine chuckled hysterically as I spat out a bit of blood.

“No, y’know what? This is a good thing. I can kill two birds with one stone—” She seethed, staring angrily and pointing at me. The protective streak in me flashed like a power up almost.

“ _ Don’t you dare— _ ” I growled, standing up to lunge after her. Chloe fought between the two of us to keep us from killing each other.

“ _ NADINE! _ ” She shouted again, managing to push her away.

“What?” She asked. Chloe sighed, opening her mouth to speak, and Nadine’s expression softened a bit. When words didn’t come out, she asked again. “ _ What? _ ”

“Sam’s kind of the reason why we’re here in the first place…” she confessed. Nadine snarled as she backed away.

“No, you’d better be joking—”

“This was  _ my _ deal… Sunny didn’t even know what was going on until she got here—” Chloe defended as Nadine shook her head in disbelief. “Sam went ahead to do recon on the disc for me- Sunny that much is true. And he didn’t lie to you about that, I swear—” she turned to me briefly to clear that up for me and I sighed, hanging my head as she turned back to Nadine. “But then he wasn’t responding to my calls anymore and he went missing! Obviously, I couldn’t leave him for dead so I—”

“You knew my history with Sam and you dragged me into this anyway!” She snapped at her. “Sunny, I can forgive but Sam put a gun to my head and meant to pull the trigger!” I sighed remembering that. It wasn’t his finest moment, that was for sure.

“No, your history with  _ Asav _ made you the obvious choice—” Suddenly, Chloe was cut off by the power behind Nadine’s fist against her nose, knocking her to the ground the same as me.

“Jesus!” I exclaimed, rushing to help her. I helped her sit up as she cradled her nose gently, popping it back in place immediately with a loud grunt.

“Don’t hold back or anything—”

“ _ Oh, I did. _ ” Nadine paced back and forth behind us, fuming.

“Y’know, this doesn’t change anything. You’ll still get your share.”

“Yeah? Or maybe you three will cut me out as soon as you get the tusk? Maybe Sunny and Sam will cut  _ you _ out and take the tusk themselves—”

“C’mon, that’s not how we operate—.” Chloe said, shaking her head as she fought off the same headache I’d been fighting since I’d hit.

“ _ That’s exactly how your type operates! _ ” Nadine retorted, pointing an accusatory finger at us. Chloe made an offended face. Probably the same one I wore. “And to think I trusted you. Both of you…” She sneered. That one kind of hurt a little more than it should’ve. Despite all that happened in Libertalia, I was growing to like her. She shook her head and walked off, hopping off the platform and starting for the 4x4. Chloe and I sat up hurriedly with intent to go after her.

“I was going to tell you about Sam.” Chloe said. “I swear. I was just waiting for the right time to—” It was too late. Nadine had already hopped in the car and was taking off.

“Ross!!! Bring back my fucking car!!!!” I shouted after her but she kept going. I was fuming. Sully put an insurance deposit on the car (albeit Chloe drove it like a maniac) and also…. ‘ _ MY SNACKS! _ ’ I thought as my hands began to shake in anger.

“It’s fine! We could use the exercise!” Chloe shouted sarcastically. ‘ _ Now is not the time!! _ ’ I thought, making a face at her.

“ _ SHIT!!! _ ” I exclaimed, picking up a rock and tossing it after the 4x4. It landed pitifully in the grass and I flared my nostrils in devastation, watching her drive out of sight. I shook my head, out of breath and pissed off. Immediately, I turned my head to look at her in annoyance. She showed me her gums nervously. “I fuckin’  _ told you _ —”

“How was I supposed to know she was going to drive off with the car—”

“ _ I told you to tell her about Sam earlier _ - _ but nooo!  _ Nobody listens to Sunny! ...Fuck me…” I snapped angrily. I pressed my knuckles into my eyes to give myself a minute, pacing across the platform.

“... I’m gonna fix this, Sunny—”

“Just save it, Chloe. You’ve done enough.” I said, walking towards the end of the platform. “Let’s just catch up before she kills Sam.” I rolled my eyes and jumped off the edge, my boots landing in the moss with a thud. 

“Okay…” I heard her sigh.

  
  


We began to walk in the direction of the entrance to the old capital. I was tired and irritated, worried about Sam, Nadine could possibly get herself killed… I shook my head as I tried to sort out how to handle everything. Wondering if maybe I could do some damage control. But I realized whatever was going on between Chloe and Nadine had to be handled within themselves. Sam was my problem. The only problem of mine really. What was I going to say to him when I saw him? What would I do? How would I feel? How would I address this cloud looming over me? Suddenly, a streak of lightning cut across the sky and thunder boomed behind it. I looked up just as a single raindrop fell on my forehead. And that singular raindrop became many. The water fell from the skies hard, seeping into every piece of clothing and into my shoes. I stopped in my tracks, clenching my fists in frustration and screaming at the sky. Once I felt somewhat satisfied, I hung my head and sobbed.

“You love him don’t you?” I heard Chloe ask. I sighed and nodded silently. When I looked up, she bore an even more guilty expression. “Shit, Sunflower…. If I had known—”

“Yeah, yeah— you wouldn’t have slept with him. I get it…” I grumbled, irritatedly. She frowned and pushed back the hair of her bangs that had begun to stick to her face from the rain water.

“Sunny… the reason he didn’t talk about Libertalia much with me…. I think it was because of you. Maybe he missed you too much… Maybe he was  _ lonely— _ ” she tried to defend him with and all I could do was chuckle at the word “lonely”.

“ _ He _ was lonely? He made me fall for him in a week— couldn’t even stick around for a little while— he went fucking other girls in god knows how many countries and then he came to see me like  _ nothing _ happened.” I scoffed. Chloe chewed on her lip.

“Yeah…. I could see where you’d be pretty pissed.” She said with a sigh.

“Yeah no shit.” I laughed, pissed off about every situation at the moment. As we stopped at a cliff, I looked for a way down. The only way I could see was a mudslide. “Ugh…. yeah. Of course.” I mumbled, lowering myself to slide down immediately. I landed on my feet with a grunt. I looked up at the cliff and put my arms out to her. “C’mon. I’ll catch ya.” I said monotonously, gesturing to her. Chloe huffed and nodded her head.

“Right…” She said. She lowered herself, the same as I did, and began to slide down. Suddenly, she hit a bump and she caught a little air. Her leg tucked under her, tripping her up and she began barrel rolling down the hill until she landed face first in the puddle at the bottom of the slope.

“Shit, Chloe—”

“I got it…. I deserve that. I do….” she said, refusing my help and groaning as she stood up on her own. I placed my hands on my hips with a huff. “Sunflower… I don’t know how many times I can say I’m sorry—”

“Actually, you’ve never said.” I pushed my curls back off my face and looked down at my muddy boots, biting my lip. Heaving, Chloe shook her hair off her face.

“Well I am… sorry.” She said, her lips trembling from how cold it suddenly got. I looked at her sadly. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.” I sighed and pursed my lips.

“I forgave you like... four puzzles and some killer statues ago.” I smirked. Chloe forced a tired laugh as a small smile brightened her dirty face. I hugged her briefly but tightly and patted her shoulder. She nodded as a bit of relief was brought to her face. “Let’s go catch up with Nadine. Maybe save Sam if we can.”

“We will….” She said. I turned to begin walking when she put a hand on my back to stop me. “I wouldn’t have let anything happen to him. I’d never let him get killed. You know that, right?”

“I do.  _ I  _ might kill him though. But before I do, I gotta save his ass...  _ Again _ .” I sighed. Always the damsel in distress, that Drake.

  
  



	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry this took so long and sucked so bad lol holiday retail is horrible! But I promise the next chapter won’t be so bad 💖

**_Sunny’s POV_ **

A massive armored truck with a turret drifted by our hiding spot in the tall grass. It hadn’t seen us yet. In the corner of my eye, I spotted a bit of movement. It was Nadine creeping up behind two men to take them out with her powerful kicks. I tapped Chloe on the shoulder and pointed in her direction. “Look at this idiot.” I mumbled and she sighed, shaking her head.

“She’s  _ really  _ stepped in it now.” She whispered. The rain was still pouring heavily and showed no signs of easing up. Wind blew, shifting the rain a little and making it harder to see. I ran my hand down my face to rid it of excess water only for me to be soaked again. It was pointless but I kept doing it. “Alright let’s move… Keep it quiet, yeah?” She asked. I nodded and followed her out of the tall grass to take cover behind a massive boulder. That’s when I saw it. Flipped upside down with the front totaled, burning in thick black smoke and licks of flame was the cherry red 4x4. My jaw dropped as I watched it burn.

“That little…..” I knocked my head against the boulder in anger, clenching my fists.

“Not getting  _ that _ deposit back.” Chloe commented, jokingly.

“Yeah no shit.” I growled, flexing my nostrils as I shook my head. “And my snacks were in there… all my guns….  _ Fuck…. _ ”

“I’m sorry, love.” She said placing a hand on my shoulder as she looked around the corner. Two guards were pacing the area with their Type 95s. I noticed them too. “You take right, I’ll take left?” She whispered and I nodded, pulling my knife from its holster and readying it in my hand. 

It was easy. They didn’t hear us coming. Chloe jumped on her guy’s back and just put him to sleep. Me on the other hand, covered my guy’s mouth and sliced his throat. “Jesus, Sunny.” Chloe marveled. I shrugged carelessly as I pulled the gun from the man bleeding out in the grass.

“I know. I’m just angry.” I said, checking my ammo clip. “We gotta take out that truck but we’re gonna need something heavier. These guns aren’t even gonna put a dent in it.”

“If you can cover me, I’ll skim through the crates and see what explosives I can find.” She said.

“Of course, sis!” I sighed. Chloe flashed a smile and we began to move accordingly.

We snuck through any open ruins, taking out men with as much stealth as possible. The fact that it was raining and thundering so hard aided in covering our sound more and nobody ever saw us coming. We found an RPG stock and a few warheads to use. We rounded up at least six heads. In our idiotic greed, we tried to shoot for eight but just as Chloe had partially broken into the next crate, the armored truck stopped right next to us. “Ah, shit—” I exclaimed, reaching out to grab my friend and pushing her down into cover as the truck released a barrage of thick bullets.

“This should be enough!” She yelled to me over the noise. I just nodded and began to screw in a warhead. 

“Wait for it!” I shouted, waiting in cover for the bullets to end. The turret had to reset eventually. We kept our heads down for a few more seconds. “ _ Wait for it…. _ ” The bullets kept going and going, just about to break through the stone barrier until suddenly it stopped. The turret had run out of bullets. I smirked and immediately sat up to take aim at the grill. “Bitch.” I mumbled before pulling the trigger to blow it up. In the fiery explosion, the truck hopped a little, bouncing on its suspension.

“Do it again!” Chloe said hurriedly, holding out another warhead.

“Gimme a minute!” I exclaimed, preparing for the next one. But it was too late. The truck had reloaded. “We gotta find cover again. They’re gonna blow a hole through here.” She nodded as I slipped the heavy RPG over my shoulder and we ran across the field, dodging bullets swiftly.

In our moment of splitting up, I climbed to the top of a ruin and took cover there. My heart was racing and my breathing was shaky. I prepared myself to take aim again and shot off another warhead at the truck. “I HOPE THAT HURT!” I heard Chloe exclaim. When I looked down, she was fighting off a handful of men. She always was a shit talker in a fight. I smirked in pride as I changed the warhead again. I looked around to see if I could see the truck again only to instead find Ms. Ross and her crazy self. Low and behold, she was holding her own, also taking on her share of men. I could see a few more coming towards both women and I figured maybe I’d help them out. I pulled my long gun and began to take aim. ‘ _ Gonna take a bit of ammo from this distance but I think I can get ‘em _ ….’ I thought, biting my lip as I tried to focus. I could feel the recoil as I pulled the trigger, the power behind each shot. I took each of them out then turned to help Nadine. She actually managed to fight them all off. All but one. She didn’t see before but she missed him. And he hid behind a barrier, ready to take his shot. I watched in worry as Nadine turned, startled as she stared down the barrel of this man’s handgun. Nervously, I took aim. I used so much ammo, I was almost sure I was out of bullets. But I pulled the trigger all the same and I put a hole in his head before his finger could even ghost his. His body hit the ground and Nadine turned to see where the shot had come from. When she locked eyes with mine, I shot her a smirk and a swanky salute, tossing the gun off of my post. She stared at me with a pissed off expression before making her way towards the cow statue. On the platform was a crank to turn just like the others. That pesky armored truck followed her over and began to shoot off more bullets. But it was weak. Smoke rose from the grill, sparks flying as the bits of loose metal scraped against each other when it drove along the rocky terrain. It was on its last legs.

“Nadine! Take cover!” I shouted to her and she ran to safety behind a pillar as I readied the RPG again. With that, I squeezed the trigger and watched the final warhead fly to the truck, exploding in a great fire as it collided with the weakened vehicle. And just like that, it was over. I took my grappling hook and managed to get it around a tree branch. “Chloe, to the statue!” I called before swinging across and landing in a puddle with a splash. Nadine appeared from behind the pillar, barely able to look at me as she got ready to push the crank. “Need some assistance?” I asked her. She wasn’t very reactionary. She crinkled her brows and grabbed a bar, ready to push. I sighed and grabbed the other. With a brief count off, the two of us were turning the crank. As Chloe climbed her way up the platform, the bell in front of the cow seemed to slide open on the side like a door, displaying a deep stairwell. I opened my mouth to say something to Nadine but she’d already turned on her heel to go inside and out of the rain.

“You’re welcome!” Chloe sang to her, expecting her to be thankful that we just saved her skin. I groaned and shook my head, stepping out of the way for them as I wiped the continuous streams of rain water from my eyes pointlessly. Nadine turned to look at her with an audacious expression, her face screwed up into a snarl. Chloe chewed on her lip nervously as she approached.

“ _ You _ lied to my face—” Nadine attacked.

“I didn’t lie! I _just_ left out the part about Sam….” Chloe replied in defense as she headed towards the newly opened doorway. Nadine scoffed and forced a laugh.

“Incredible—”

“Imma need y’all to stop fightin’. Okay- Asav’s got the disc and we need to hurry up n’ catch him—”

“‘ _ We? _ ’” Nadine looked at us incredulously, laughing preposterously. Chloe sighed, throwing her hands up and clenching her fists in frustration as she tried to find the right words. “ _ Spit it out! _ ” She snapped at her.

“ _ Okay! _ ” Chloe cracked under her pressure. “Look, I…. Cards on the table… I need your help.”

“You should’ve thought about that before—”

“And if you want the tusk, you’re going to need mine. You’re going to need Sunny’s.” Chloe said. I crossed my arms and sighed, avoiding Nadine’s gaze as she spoke. She raised her shoulders and opened her arms. “Look, I screwed up, alright?” She said, pushing her bangs out of her face. Nadine placed her hands on her hips and raised a brow.

“This is your idea of an apology?” Nadine scoffed. Chloe just shrugged.

“If it helps keep your head in the game, then sure—”

“ _ Chloe! _ ” I snapped, looking at her. Jesus, this woman had a hard time saying the “S” word. She looked at me in confusion as Nadine pushed by her, annoyed. I gestured to her very obviously and gave her a look. She needed to fix this thing with Nadine. With a sigh, Chloe intercepted her path towards the stairs.

“Look, we both have something to lose here, right? All of us?” Chloe tried to reason but every word that came out of her mouth was the wrong thing. I shook my head, pinching the bridge of my nose. I couldn’t even watch. Nadine stared at her a moment before speaking up.

“Just so we’re clear: My priority is the tusk.  _ Not Sam Drake _ ,” she said looking at me with burning eyes then back to Chloe. “And most  _ certainly _ not you.” With that, she walked by her, bumping shoulders with me roughly as she pushed by to descend the stairwell. I sighed as lightning cracked across the dark and rainy skies. Much like some pig headed guy, Chloe shrugged it off and tried to wipe some of the dirt from her face.

“ _ What _ the fuck was that?” I said, raising my voice at her. Chloe shook her head.

“I said sorry—”

“No. No you didn’t, Chloe- you made  _ excuses _ .” I called her on it, poking her in the chest. She got quiet, placing her hands on her hips and rocking her weight back and forth. She bit her lip to keep from exploding but her attempt failed. She groaned loudly, throwing her hands in the air.

“Well, what the bloody hell do you say to a woman that amazing?” She retorted. There it was. She shook her head at a loss. “How do I patch this up? Everything that comes out is wrong. I don’t just… do this.” I chuckled to myself, amused by the mess the three of us were. Not a single one of us were perfect by any means.

“None of us do apparently. But someone told me somethin’ recently. She said, ‘There’s no point in bein’ closed off. Especially with the life we live.’” I told her looking down the stairwell after Nadine. I locked eyes with her and gave her the most serious expression. She gasped to herself, that same frightened expression Nadine had when she realized her feelings was now on her face. She searched my face for answers I didn’t have and I just blinked at her. “You need to fix it, Chlo.” With that, she gave a deep sigh.

“Alright…. I get it.” She nodded.

“Suck it up, buttercup!” I said, slapping her ass. She gave a soft chuckle and started down the stairs with me at her tail.

As we entered the dark and wet hallway, we watched Nadine pull a crank and the door on the bell slid shut behind us. Even upset, she still didn’t want us followed. What was bad for us was bad for her. As we walked down the dim hall, a bit of smoke seemed to hang in the air. Plants were wild and overgrown, covering the walls and pillars, simply thriving off of the mist in the atmosphere. We walked down several stairways and admired a number of carvings. Then suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through, stopping us in our tracks. Little bits of debris fell from the walls and ceiling as slight pressure pushed at our tired bodies. “What the hell was that?” I asked nervously.

“Exactly what it sounded like.” Nadine answered, curtly.

“Taking shortcuts, eh?” Chloe mumbled to herself in frustration as we began a light jog down the endless flights of stairs towards the light at the end of the hall. 

  
  


We found ourselves standing at a wall with beautiful stone carved work. This one of the same Nandi statue outside, a line of people in single file entering the bell just as we had. It was all so surreal. We were taking the same journey as the Hoysala to Belur. Chloe flashed her light on it, marveling at it all. “Well I’ll be damned…. The kings led their people through these tunnels… We didn’t find an entrance. This is the back door.” She smirked. I could feel my head nodding as I stared at the work before me. With that, we continued down the stepwell. It was rather quiet in the tunnels. All that could be heard were the light echoes of dripping and running water, a few birds and monkeys. One noise stood out above the rest though. It sounded like a roar. The minute we heard it, we slowed down.

“And that was...?” I asked, raising a shapely brow.

“The hell if I know but it’s close.” Nadine grunted.

“Stay vigilant, ladies.” Chloe said, pushing forward. The stairs led us to a massive room, water flooding the floors and trickling from the ceiling. We heard that roar again and found the culprit in the corner of the room. An Indian Elephant laid trapped beneath a heavy broken pillar. It was in distress and if I didn’t know any better, I thought I could see some tears falling from its eyes. Immediately, the three of us turned soft. In the mixture of coos and whines, we all felt horrible about its situation. Of course we  _ had _ to save it.

Quickly, we slid down a mudslide into the room and approached it carefully as it struggled against the heavy broken stones. I rounded the side towards its head as it lifted its trunk to let out another cry. “ _ Easy _ ,  _ baby… _ easy….” I cooed, reaching out to gently pet it’s head as Chloe and Nadine climbed around its back. It let out a soft cry and it almost brought me to tears. “I know, shug. We’re gonna get you outta there.” I sighed, it’s skin rough and patchy beneath my fingers.

“She’s trapped but I don’t think she’s wounded.” Nadine said, running her hand over its back softly.

“Those explosions we heard must’ve triggered the collapse.” Chloe said, also petting the elephant.

“Those  _ assholes…. _ ” I hum under my breath as I watched the girls sit on its back with their feet against the pillar, trying to kick it off as I comforted the poor creature. But they struggled. 

“Sunny, get up here- we need some help— we’ve almost got it.” Chloe grunted. I nodded, looking at the massive animal in its eyes sadly. I climbed the platform and sat down on the elephant’s back, leaning against the wall to kick my feet up onto the pillar. “On three….” She said. She counted us off and I used all the power left in my legs to push as hard as I could, baring my teeth as I grunted. We pushed and pushed and pushed until the pillar moved and fell on its side off of the animal. Just as I was about to let off a quick sigh of relief, the elephant suddenly stood up, a trill noise erupting from its trunk. “ _ Wait, wait— _ ” Chloe exclaimed as we instinctively threw our legs over its spine. It began to walk down a tunnel, carrying the three of us on its back; and it looked like we were still on the right path to wherever we were going. 

“We need to get down.” Nadine suddenly huffed. I scoffed and she turned around to look at me.

“Really, Nadine? We’re literally riding an  _ elephant _ and your first thought is to get off of it?” I knew she was pissed but  _ come on _ . This was incredible!

“This isn’t a tourist elephant, Spurrs— this is a wild animal!”

“Will you  _ relax, _ Nadine?” Chloe groaned. “It doesn’t seem to bother her, does it girl?” She picked off a low hanging branch, sprouting with yellow fruits and held it out for the elephant to eat. She chewed happily and tooted from her trunk; Chloe turned to give her a bright smile but it was to no avail. Nadine gave us both a look and just sat between us sulking. Chloe frowned and looked at me. I gestured to the woman between us and made a face.

“ _ Fuckin’ do it! _ ” I mouthed to her and she winced, biting her lip before turning back around. I couldn’t see her face but I knew she was racking her brain for the right words to say. I sighed as I watched her pull fruit from the branch and place them in the elephant’s grasp. When there were no more fruits left, she tossed the stick aside and the three of us rode in silence. We looked up just as a family of monkeys began to crawl across the branches above us. I looked over Nadine’s shoulder and a soft smile graced her lips as she watched them play and swing about. Chloe turned to look at her, knowing she loved them. But once again, Nadine contorted her face and looked away. Chloe gave a deep sigh and slouched her narrow shoulders.

“Look, um….. I’m not very good at the whole….  _ people thing…. _ ” she said rather nervously, petting the elephant for comfort as she said what she needed to say. Nadine looked at her a moment, her stone cold expression never wavering.

“You’re a selfish dickhead.” She said to her plainly and abruptly. Chloe hung her head for a moment. But she nodded, completely understanding. 

“Yeah…. you’re right. I am a selfish dickhead…” She agreed.

“Ja. Long as we’re both clear on that.” She said in a matter-of-fact tone. Chloe giggled a little and a smile slowly crawled onto Nadine’s face. I smirked at how easy Nadine seemed to forgive her. Matters of the heart truly conquered all. I could only hope it’d do the same for Sam and I… Anyway, I was glad they made up. I didn’t know if I could take their fighting much longer. Then Nadine turned to look at me. I cowered under her gaze as she stared into my eyes long and hard before her features softened.

“Sorry about the check to the face…” she said. The moment she referenced it, I felt a sting and an achiness spread across my cheekbone. I shook off the pain and shrugged.

“I’m sure I had it comin’.” I mumbled, shyly. I was never sure anymore. So much bullshit flew out of my mouth, it’s a miracle I haven’t ended up dead somewhere.

“Actually, you didn’t. I panicked. I do trust you. It’s Sam I don’t trust…” She bit her lip and crinkled her brows. I just nodded.

“And I absolutely understand that. You have my full permission to beat his ass if I’m bein’ honest. Especially if I don’t get to him first.” I said, looking off at the misty waterfall in the distance. Nadine let out a pleasant chuckle and I smiled. “I don’t betray my friends, Nadine.”

“Oh, is that what we are now?” She asked with a bit of sarcasm. I giggled and punched her arm playfully.

“Lil’ shit…” I grinned. It seemed things were better between us now. And I could only hope they’d stay that way.

“So  _ you’re  _ an asshole, I’m a little shit, and Chloe’s a dickhead.” Nadine gathered.

“Nice!” Chloe chuckled, pulling her little trinket from her pocket to play with it between her roughed up fingers. “Hear that, dad? Guess I got something from you after all…” she mumbled. I could hear the sadness in her voice. We sat in silence before I finally spoke.

“What happened to your pops, Chloe?” I asked rather innocently, my eyes never leaving her dirt covered, sweaty back. She took a deep sigh and looked up at the scenery passing us by slowly. I always knew it was hard for her to talk about things that weren’t about work or fun. It was just how she operated. But I could understand. It was easier than talking about the things that really hurt; the things that really mattered, the struggles that make us who we are.

“He um….. He was the guy that just couldn’t walk away…” she began. “The Ministry of Culture promised to fund one more of his expeditions. Because this time, he was onto something big.” She scoffed and shook her head a little. “He was always into something big… But, um…. bandits raided his camp… Local authorities found his body two weeks later…. And this stupid thing is all I have left of him.” She said, showing us the little gold piece with a carving of Ganesh on it. My brows raised, crinkling a little as my heart broke for her. I wished she hadn’t lost her father like that.

“I’m sorry…” Nadine sighed. Chloe looked over her shoulder at us with a small smile.

“It’s fine…. He certainly made his choice…” she said, waving it off. The moment she locked eyes with Nadine, I could see hers light up. She looked helpless. I could see her mouth trying to find the right words to address it. “So… I—” Suddenly, just as she began to talk, the animal we rode on growled and let off a strong trill. I’d almost forgotten we were on an elephant for the moment. It kicked up on its hind legs a little, almost causing me to slide off. I wrapped my arms around Nadine’s waist as she grabbed Chloe’s in surprise and it began to charge forward.

“ _ What the fuck, guys?! _ ” I sang, not exactly sure what was about to happen next.

“Tell it to stop!” Nadine exclaimed.

“‘Cause  _ I _ speak elephant!” Chloe replied sarcastically. Before we could even figure out a plan, the elephant jumped off of a short cliff, cherry bombing into a small body of cool blue waters. I squealed as I fell in, tumbling about the pressure of the ripples, watching the elephant swim away underwater, bubbles dancing about us all as we swam back up to the top. As soon as my face broke the surface, I began gasping for air, the three of us laughing as I pushed my wet curls off of my forehead. We began to swim to shore, only to find a family of elephants. The one that took us on our journey practically ran to be with them.

“Oh no wonder she was so worried to get back! They’ve got a calf with them.” Nadine said, nodding towards the smaller creature as she wiped the excess water from her arms. I watched the momma elephant caress her babies head with her trunk as I wrung out my shirt and cooed.

“Lookit…” I marveled, staring at the sight before me.

“So cute…” Chloe sighed. I watched her turn to Nadine to give a solemn expression. “Look….about the Sam thing—”

“I’ve got my own shit to sort out as well.” Nadine interrupted, waving her off. “Let’s not have that stand in the way anymore, hey? I forgive you. For now.” She smirked. I grinned and opened my arms to the two of them.

“Group hug?” I asked.

“Too much.” Nadine replied immediately and I began to pout, Chloe chuckling as she patted me on the back.

“Next time, China.” She laughed.

We admired them for a little while, each of us taking pictures with the elephants. This was going to be one of those things I’d remember. After trying to drag out the moment as long as we could, we started walking on our path again. Once more, we found ourselves walking up another flight of stairs. I was tired of stairs now. Over them completely. My thighs were beginning to burn and my calves were sore, my feet were beginning to hurt and my back and shoulders were killing me; mosquitoes hadn’t been kind to us this trip and small cuts on my face began to sting from sweat and god knows what else getting into them. To top it all off, I was starving. From the number of supply boxes that began to pop up from time to time, I could tell I was going to have to gear myself up for a fight. And that was all well and good, but really; how was I supposed to kick ass on an empty stomach?

“You think Asav’s guys keep first aid and snacks in their lil’ boxes?” I asked. These were the real questions. 

“I thought we had sna— oh… sorry, China.” Nadine piped up, suddenly remembering that she kind of destroyed the car with the snacks inside.

“I’m still…..  _ very  _ upset about that by the way.”

“I’ll buy us all a big pizza after this. Sound good?” Chloe asked as the lid on the box she was picking popped open with a loud click.

“Sounds excellent.” I groaned as the three of us stood over the box, looking around inside. There wasn’t much but a few boxes and clips of ammo, a spare Arrowhead A3c, a Type 95, and a couple of C-4.

“Well, we might be in for a fight. Load up if you need to.” Nadine said, reaching for the 95, letting the weight settle in her small, bruised hands. I sighed and nodded, picking up the Arrowhead. 

“I reckon this’ll all be over soon, yeah? I mean in a couple of hours we’ll save Sam, beat Asav— get the disc back, find the Tusk, get outta here n’ get paid, right?” I asked, cocking the gun and admiring the sleekness of it.

“That’s a rather optimistic way of looking at things, love.” Chloe cooed, pinching my cheek lightly.

“Not likely to be that easy.” Nadine said, curtly. I rolled my eyes and made a face. There was no room for The Bright Side with her. She obviously just couldn’t help but to be so brusque. But it wasn’t completely her fault. I figured it had to do with her militant upbringing. 

“Way to boost morale, Ross.” I smiled with sarcasm, patting her on the bicep with a wink. With that, we started our way through the ruins again, ready to take on anything that would stand in the way between us and this Tusk.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry I’m late 🙈 work has been a lot lately but I think I have time to write more now 🥰

**_Sunny’s POV_ **

“Gaaahh!!” I exclaimed, the girls laughing as I spat out the water that involuntarily splashed into my mouth as I climbed the spectacle of a ruin. Granted it was “clean”, you never really know. We’d finally come across Belur. It was beautiful. More beautiful than Halebidu in my opinion. A hidden underground city clearly fed by the aqueducts, water delicately falling over the cliffs; wild vines grew by the clean, misty air, almost a complete serenity at first glance. That was until a massive explosion sounded, disrupting the natural silence as it rang out through the massive cave. Annoyed, the three of us began to climb in that direction. To the very top. The longer the job went on, the more comfortable I began to get with heights again. Pretty soon, it would be no sweat at all.

I watched the two women climb up to the last platform, Nadine reaching out for me as I was the last to arrive. She pulled me up and patted me on the shoulder with a small smile and we made our way up a set of stairs. Smack dab in the middle was a gorgeous golden sculpture of Shiva, Nandi, and what Chloe thought might’ve been his eldest son. At the top of the stairs was the entrance to where we needed to go next but of course, it had been blown to bits. I cursed to myself and scratched my head in frustration.

“Damn...there’s got to be another way inside…” Chloe said, taking the words right out of my mouth as I looked around the small garden that bloomed in the middle of the area. She shook her head as she walked about, chewing her lip. “They’re trying to slow us down.” she grumbled.

“Well they fucked up. We’ll find a way. We always do…” I said with reassurance as I stared hard at a possible alternative solution to our problem at hand. Smoke was pouring out of a small window nearby. “I wonder….” I grumbled, walking over to it. I climbed up and looked inside. It was a bit hard to see from the smog but it seemed like a decent little tunnel inside. I crawled up and further inside to double check and stuck my head out. “This way, there’s a path here.” I told them and they followed me into the tunnel. 

We took the tunnel into a room with a massive pool in the center. Across the way we’re two men, standing guard at the entrance to the next room. Dropping from the high exit, I spotted them. “Damn!” I heard Nadine swear as she and Chloe hopped down behind me. Immediately, I pulled out my .9mm and took aim, pulling the trigger without a second thought. Normally you know what happens when you do that… Which is why I wasn’t at all prepared for what would happen next. A sudden spark erupted from the man; a flash of fire and the loud bang of the explosion absolutely obliterated him, injuring his partner as he was sent head first into the nearby wall and collapsing the entryway in the process. The three of us exclaimed rather loudly, Chloe’s brows raised as Nadine clasped her hands over her mouth. I threw my arms over my head as my jaw dropped, taking a few steps back.

“Holy shit!” I gasped, looking at the crumbled scene.

“Must’ve had a deadman’s switch…” 

“Well shit.” I huffed, staring at the pool of water before us. The longer I looked at it, the more I realized how dark the middle of it was. I wrinkled my brows and walked towards it. Another tunnel. I shook my head, blowing out a puff of irritated air. ‘ _ Alright, Spurrs. Guess you’re Michael Phelps now. _ ’ I thought as I dropped to the ground and dipped my legs into the cold fresh water. I shivered a little. We’d been drenched in water for hours and as much as it usually wouldn’t bother me, I was tired of being so pruney. “It’s deeper there in the middle. I’m thinkin’ there’s a passage?” I said. Chloe’s crazy ass… jumps in the water without even a moment of hesitation, swimming as deep as she could. 

“Frazer!” Nadine exclaimed, rushing knee deep into the water to look where she’d gone.

“Oh Jesus…” I grumbled looking down after her as I stood. After a couple seconds, she appeared to the surface, gasping for air. She pushed her hair off of her face as she began to tread the water.

“You were right! There’s a light at the end. Looks like a bit of a swim though. Can your lungs handle that, love?” Chloe joked, splashing water at me playfully. Nadine giggled a little and I just nodded my head, fighting off a smile.

“You should be a comedian. This treasure hunter bullshit doesn’t suit you.” I said sarcastically as I joined her in the water. 

Just like that, the three of us dove into the less than temperate waters. We swam down until I spotted the breach at the bottom. Nadine and I followed Chloe down the tunnel, pushing ourselves along by the slippery algae covered walls. When we reached the other side we began to swim to the surface. Half expecting Asav’s men, I pulled my gun immediately and pointed at the area before us. When I could tell the coast was clear, we climbed out of the cool waters; wringing out our clothes and hair, wiping off excess water from our faces. Behind the stairs before us was a beautiful stone and gold carving into the wall; women. I didn’t need any more information on that subject. I just felt in my spirit that they had important roles here. Like this was their city. We took the stairs into a shorter hallway. What we found in the next room seemed to take Chloe’s breath away. The ceilings were high and open, letting the sunlight fill the octagonally shaped room. It was light colored stone all around with gold trim, shelves lined around the room stacked tall with dusty artifacts. Moss and grass grew between cracks all over the place. My eyes widened as I looked around, marveled by everything in sight. I let out a loud whistle and picked up a ring that felt like it had been made from solid gold. It was certainly heavy enough to make the assumption... 

“ _ Boy _ , I betcha we could make a pretty penny offa all this….” I mumbled, admiring the green jewel sparkling in its golden bed. Suddenly, Chloe looked at me a moment and snorted.

“ _ Oh God _ , you even sound like him.” She said, scrunching up her nose as she picked up a stack of thin pieces of wood, examining it briefly.

“Like who?” I asked, crinkling my brows.

“Like Sam.” She said simply. I scoffed in amusement.

“ _ Minus _ that  _ horrid _ accent he’s got.” Nadine interjected, snickering as she looked at a few items herself. The girls shared a laugh as I sucked my teeth and tried not to laugh myself, tucking the ring into my pocket before looking around again. There was a little bit of everything; jewelry, instruments, maps, documents, tools and pottery…. It was an interesting little stop n’ shop for me. I kept finding jewelry to take back to my friends and for myself even. I looked over. Chloe’s shoulder as she picked up a lovely piece of pottery. Small but well detailed. 

“What’s that?” I asked.

“I dunno… powder…? Maybe herbs.” She mumbled. I judged her in the side with my elbow gently, wiggling my brows mischievously.

“What  _ kinda _ herbs?” I smirked. She put the pot down and shoved me away from her with a chuckle.

“Not  _ those _ herbs, you pothead!” She said and I snorted as I went to explore more. I ran my fingers across the untuned, rusty strings of a veenar that stood in a corner as an unpleasantly untuned sound echoed in the space. I walked by to pass between the shelves and smack dab in the middle of the room was a beautiful gold and marble sculpture; almost a natural spotlight shone on it, magnifying its beauty even more. My eyes grew the size of plates as my feet seemed to gravitate towards it. Chloe and Nadine came in on the other side, also lost in its beauty. An army of strong golden men, their bodies and shields riddled with arrows as they carried a humongous white marble tusk on their backs.

“I think my new favorite thing is Hoysala art…” I commented. The detail was so exquisite! I’d never been moved by a piece of work until this. Everything we went through almost seemed worth the strife. I watched as Chloe crouched to its level to admire it on its pedestal.

“It’s an altar of some kind.” She commented.

“Looks like the king suffered dearly for his people.” Nadine noted. I nodded as I felt my brows meet in the middle. Chloe stared at it for a moment and as she turned to look at us, I could see the gears turning in her head again. Her bright eyes narrowed as she paced a bit.

“They weren’t just protecting the Tusk…” she began.

“What else would they go through all this fuckery for?” I found myself asking aloud.

“Historians believed it was a symbol of power and dominance but… I reckon they misunderstood…” she said simply, one of her hands began to fidget with a cuticle.

“As most do….” I murmured.

“This tusk…. It was a symbol of their people… a symbol of their culture…” she sighed. I could feel my face twist up as I thought about what these men must’ve gone through for their home.

“So…. ‘ _ For Belur! _ ’ I guess…” I mumbled.

“Precisely…” She said, kicking up dirt with her muddy boots. Nadine bent and placed her hands on her knees to get a closer look at it and blew off a bit of cobwebs and dust from the top of it. Along it we’re a few pieces in a straight line but one seemed to be missing. I narrowed my eyes as I strained them to catch the detailing on the pieces.

“What the…?” I mouthed to myself as Nadine seemed to notice it too. She leaned even closer before shouting out softly.

“Oi! Frazer… these look like that thing you’ve been fiddling with.” She said looking back at her with a look of shock. I huffed out some air in surprise, myself. Chloe frowned as she pulled the small golden figure of Ganesh from her pocket as stared at it sadly for a while. When she was ready, she took a deep breath and walked towards the altar to place it among the others with a shaky hand. I saw her struggling with it so I rose to my feet and placed a careful hand on her shoulder. She let it go and dropped it in its spot; then all of the others seemed to lock into place. A perfect fit. I gasped a little as Chloe let out a vulnerable and shaky sigh, lowering herself to its level. She stared at it intently for a moment then looked at us with a sad expression.

“My dad was here….” She said chuckling faintly, chewing on her lower lip as she tried to find the words that could explain all that she felt. “... ‘ _ Something big _ ’, alright…. God… why didn’t that stupid bastard tell me?” I could see the tears beginning to well up in her bright blue eyes as I squeezed her shoulder. She took a deep breath to gather herself but her voice cracked all the same.

“You said it yourself— He wanted to keep you safe.” Nadine said solemnly, pushing a lock of Chloe’s hair behind her ear. She turned her gaze back to the figures before her and shook her head in disbelief, sitting down on the ground with her back against the altar. Nadine and I took a few steps back to give her some space. She massaged a spot in her temple and chewed on her thumbnail as she wept silently, her hands shaking. Eventually, Nadine knelt down at her side and placed a rough but gentle hand on her forearm, stroking at her tanned and dirty skin. Chloe lifted her head and looked between us both.

“I can’t let Asav get that tusk.” She said to us in a weak voice, but it was brewing with determination. I could feel my brows crinkling again as I nodded, suddenly sharing that same determination. Nadine shook her head and looked her partner deep in her eyes.

“No. No, we can’t.” She said. A smile began to curl on her lips as she looked at her. It was small but grateful. I placed a hand on her knee and squeezed it gently in agreement.

“Thank you…” she whispered to us. Nadine seemed to shake herself off the trance from staring into her eyes for too long and chuckled.

“Thank us after we get out of this alive…” she smirked and Chloe laughed, herself.

“Fair point…” She sniffled, wiping away her tears on her dirty red shirt. With that, the both of us reached out a hand to help her up and she dusted herself off (pointlessly so).

“Don’t forget Ganesh.” I told her, knowing she’d probably want to keep it. Chloe’s brows shot up and she turned around to lift it from its slot. Just then, the wall in front of us dropped slowly, revealing a new entryway.

“Aha… glad I brought this then.” She said with a smile before tucking it away again.

  
  


We continued on, climbing, swinging, and swimming until we found ourselves emerging from a bit of clear blue water in front of a massive statue of Shiva. It seemed to be the only thing in the room. All the grandeur of Belur was beginning to hit me now. Everything was just breathtaking and beautifully built and constructed. This statue being another great example. It took awhile to figure it out but between the three of us, we found that all the arms set off channels of water, trailing down two of Shiva’s long arms. Speaking of arms…  _ My _ arms were burning as I tiredly climbed the hourglass shaped drum. After setting off all the channels, we noticed a level above us that needed exploring. So with curiosity, we aimed to climb higher. The drum suddenly began to rise again to a platform at Shiva’s shoulder. Upon stepping onto the lush grass that grew there, a doorway opened up for us. Nothing seemed to surprise me about Belur anymore. That was until we took the stairs inside. The stairway took us up to a platform atop the statue’s head where a massive gold crank wheel sat. 

“That looks promising.” Nadine mumbled as I began to spin the wheel. A rumble sounded and the hands of Shiva came together, pooling water into a gigantic bowl sat before him. Once it was full, a sudden stream of prismed light burst from its forehead. Shiva’s Third Eye. The light shone on a statue across from us as a chandelier began to drop from the high ceiling. “Christ, this is a lot.”

“The Hoysala sure don’t do shit halfway, eh?” I commented, inching myself to the edge of the platform to look down. ‘ _ Fuck— why’d I do that for? _ ’ I thought, taking a deep breath. “Lemme go first so I can get it over with.” I grunted. The girls smirked and stepped back as I pulled on my rope, swinging my wrist around as I aimed for the chandelier. I shook my head nervously, never taking my eye off of the spot I wanted. I let go of the rope and by the grace of god, the grapple hooked onto it. “Lit. Now… the scary part…” I said, tugging on the rope to make sure I wouldn’t fall. ‘ _ Alley oop! _ ’ I heard Sam’s voice say in my head and I shook my head, rolling my eyes at the ridiculousness of it. I took a deep breath and stepped off the platform, never letting my grip loosen as my body swung across from the statue to the platform before me. I let go and grabbed onto the edge with a squeal, climbing up to solid ground as quickly as possible. I laid out on the floor and took a massive deep breath. When I looked over, the girls were dancing in place, clapping and cheering like proud parents. I threw a thumbs up and exhaled in exasperation.

“Go, Sunny!” Chloe cheered with a giggle as she readied herself to swing across. I chuckled and rolled over, rising to my feet to look around at the number of statues placed along the platform. I walked up to one, examining it, and noticed the pedestals they stood on were rotatable.

“Hmm…” I said aloud, placing my hands on my hips. I had barely noticed the girls had made it across already. 

“What’s ‘ _ hmm _ ’?” I heard Nadine ask.

“If I turn this statue…. do y’all think I’ll die?” I asked stupidly as I turned to face them. They both made various but honest expressions.

“ _ Well _ … if you  _ did _ die… it’d make a bitchin’ story at your funeral.” Chloe replied with widened eyes, pursing her lips. I raised a brow and shrugged before stepping up to the pedestal.

“Shit, that’s all I ask.” I said, scrunching up my face as I began to turn the statue. Somehow, I didn’t seem all too worried about dying anymore. I turned it carefully and the colorful light split into two, bouncing off of the prism it held. I gasped suddenly knowing what I had to do. “Do all these statues have mirrors?” I asked.

“Looks that way, yeah.” Nadine replied. I looked at the chandelier we swung on and noticed another prism that sat inside it.

“What are you thinking, China?” Chloe asked.

“All of these beams? Need to meet there…” I gestured with a pointed finger. Chloe smiled and smacked my ass.

“Good work, Sunflower.” She winked at me. Feeling proud, I nodded as we began to split up and divide the work. 

  
  


It didn’t take very long to do. Most of the statues were turned until it came to one of the last ones. The top half was broken. “Well  _ dag nabbit _ … Now what?” I huffed. Without even thinking, Nadine climbed the pedestal and picked up the mirror, stone hands still attached to it. I chuckled as she raised the mirror above her head like the others.

“You make a  _ phenomenal  _ statue, Nadine.” Chloe commented as she leaned on the pedestal to admire her. Nadine blushed and averted her gaze to me.

“Hurry up and finish this. This thing’s heavy.” She said as Chloe stepped back to take a picture. “ _ Really? _ ” She huffed. I grinned, giggling a little as I ran over to the final statue. It had to be rolled to meet the beam and positioned just right. “Be careful, Spurrs! That ledge doesn’t look sturdy.” She told me. And she was right. It was already leaning down a little too much for my liking. But I sucked it up and stepped onto it slowly, holding my breath like it was going to magically make me weightless or something. As soon as the statue was positioned properly, another rumble sounded.

“Well that did  _ somethin’...? _ ” I said, not really quite sure if something indeed happened.

“So I can put this down now?” Nadine asked.

“Um…. yes?” I answered, making a face. That thing must’ve been heavier than it looked. 

“Wait! Not yet!” Chloe shouted, running over to my side to see what was going to happen.

“What’s happening? I can’t see from here!” Nadine asked as the two of us watched all the beams strike the prism in the chandelier and form one singular beam that pointed towards the bowl of water before Shiva. I shook my head in confusion, placing my hands on my hips as I looked to Chloe for the answers.

“ _ All this water… _ It’s a cleansing ritual.” She mumbled. Luckily I was close enough to hear her.

“ _ What’s happening?! _ ” Nadine asked again.

“Oh! You can put the mirror down now—”

“SHIT THEY’VE FOUND US!” Nadine exclaimed as I heard a door by the ledge across the room open up.

Acting quickly, the two of us ran off of the platform. But before I could step off of the ledge to follow her, I heard a loud whistle coming my way. I stopped to turn and see a ball of fire flying towards me. “SHIT!” I exclaimed, pushing my legs as fast as I could but the warhead hit the ground I stood on and began to lean. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” I swore as the ground began to slip from beneath me. Chloe reached out for me but I’d already slipped and began to roll. The statue rolled the same direction I did and right off of the ledge. I was headed the same way. Soon as my body began to fall, I felt Chloe’s hand grab hold of my wrist. She pulled me up as fast as she could and I followed her across the breaking ledge to “safety”. I could hear Nadine’s gunfire and I immediately took cover behind a wall, pulling on my gun. I lifted my head and closed my eyes to give myself half a second before jumping out to shoot the men accosting us, powering through without stopping. The three of us took them out one by one, heading for the door they’d just come out of. We could get out that way. For a moment, I was sure we’d made it home free until another warhead hit and the ledge beneath our feet crumbled. Chloe hung off the edge and I held Nadine’s arm as she reached out for her partner.

“HURRY! TAKE MY HAND!” She shouted.

“ _ I’M TRYING! _ ” Chloe cried out, her voice straining as she stretched her arm as far as she could. She was almost there, their fingertips brushing against each other’s. I leaned forward a bit to give Nadine a little more leeway when the ledge broke off completely. The three of us screaming for dear life as we all came crashing down. The water hit my skin like hot fire as I fell in. My skin stung and my body ached, yet I still had no time to think. I had to swim around the dark waters to avoid the falling debris. When I popped my head to the surface, I began to look around for the girls, swimming to land. I could hear faint splashes behind me and painful groans. Suddenly, I wasn’t panicking so much. I crawled onto solid ground, my body feeling heavy as I coughed and heaved, dragging my body along. I wiped the excess water from my eyes and opened them to be met with a couple pairs of dirty heavy boots. I sighed dramatically as I felt a pair of hands grab me by my sore arms and cuff my wrists. When I looked up, the girls were being cuffed as well and Asav stood before the three of us with an amused smirk.

“Well that was  _ quite  _ the fall. You had me worried!” He smiled sarcastically. That smile faded rather quickly as he tucked away his gun. “Come. It’s time for a reunion.” He said and his goons dragged us away, following him to the bowl before Shiva. Already sitting there, tied up and pitiful (but safe), was Samuel Drake. His long arms cuffed behind him as well. His bright blue shirt now wet and soiled with dirt just like us but tenfold. “He wouldn’t give you up— despite my efforts to persuade him.” Asav grumbled as the man who held me tossed me to the ground next to him. I fell on the wet surface as he lifted his big old head to face me, revealing a ghastly swollen and bleeding black eye.

“ _ Heeeey, sweetheart! _ ” He said, weakly. And I sighed in exhaustion and relief. What was I going to do with this man?

  
  



	17. Chapter 17

**_Sam’s POV_ **

I watched it all happen. How they cornered the girls, the China Lake explosives that were sent their way… I could hear a familiar scream erupt throughout the spacious room. Just as I looked up, I saw Sunny’s small body rolling off of the breaking platform. A panic filled my chest, thinking that I would’ve watched her die right in front of me. “NO!!” I found myself roaring above the rapid gunfire. I could practically feel my heart falling out of my ass. But just as her body began to fall, I could see Chloe dashing across the ledge to grab her arm. I exhaled and laid on my back a minute, relieved to see that save. It was a sight to behold really; watching Sunny charge through the slew of armed men with no fear in her heart. I’d almost forgotten how fierce she was. I could feel a smirk curling at the corners of my lips. She and Chloe would make it out. They had to. That was wishful thinking on my part. Sunny’s optimism seemed to rub off on me a little. I looked up to see Chloe hanging from the breaking ledge. ‘ _ Ah, shit…. _ ’ I thought, my face frowning as I watched the scene. There seemed to be someone else with them. I just couldn’t tell who it was. But they tried their best to reach for her. Just when I thought they’d make it, the ledge crumbled beneath them and they all fell quite a distance into the cold water. “SUNNY!” I yelped and the man that held me at gunpoint grabbed a hold of my hair, yanking it roughly. And not in the sexy way. 

“Shut your mouth, thief!” He said to me. I snarled at him, wringing myself from his grasp as I tried to see if they were okay. Luckily, they were. They crawled from the water tired and coughing, gasping for air, and Asav was right there to greet them. His men cuffed them, handling them roughly. “Get your dirty paws off her—” I exclaimed and my cries were cut short after the heavy hilt of the gun collided with my face, pushing me back onto the wet ground. ‘ _ GOD….dammit! _ ’ I shook it off with a growl. My face was already sore from the shiner Asav gave me earlier. Hurt like hell but I’ve been hit by hands heavier than his.

“He wouldn’t give you up— despite my efforts to persuade him.” I heard Asav say. Suddenly, a body was thrown down roughly next to me. I spit out a bit of blood before looking up to be met with those big baby brown eyes. Sunny’s sweet freckled face was bruised and dirty, a little tanned. India seemed to have brought some color back to her face. Her clothes were sopping wet and just a little bit muddy. She looked like she’d been through hell. Like she’s been on an adventure all her own. I couldn’t wait to hear the story behind it all. I could feel a smile spreading on my face already but the soreness in my jaw kept me from doing so gracefully. 

“ _ Heeeey, sweetheart! _ ” I cooed rather weakly. But my heart was so full. “You made it!” I was so relieved that she was alright. However, she didn’t seem so happy to see me. I could only imagine what I’d done to piss her off this time. Her face twisted in slight concern and she sighed.

“ _ Jesus _ , babe….” She said as she winced, more than likely admiring my newest feature.

“I know right? Who else do you know gets a black eye and still looks this handsome, eh?” I joked. She scoffed as Chloe and her partner were thrown down as well. Chloe scooted over to me and got a good look at my face before wincing as well.

“Oh, Sam…  _ Dude _ .” She said looking over the multiple bruises on my face.

“Meh! It’s not too bad.” I shrugged before leaning close to her. “He hits like a girl.” I whispered and she smiled a moment. I looked over to Sunny hoping she’d share the same amusement but she was anything but amused. Instead, she rolled her eyes as Chloe’s partner sat up, also beaten and bruised. I wasn’t expecting at all to see that face again, snarling and brows angled in anger. Nadine….

“Yeah? Let’s get these cuffs off and I’ll show you how girls hit.” She growled. I looked between Chloe and Sunny in confusion.

“What the  _ hell _ is she doing here?!” I whisper-yelled to them.

“You said get help! So I got you help.” Chloe spat back.

“I  _ brought  _ you help!” I argued.

“And she’s done an excellent job! But Nadine knows Asav…” she mumbled quickly as the Asav’s goons lined us up before him. He paced back and forth in front of us, pulling the disc he’d stolen from them (well stolen back after they took it first) and waving it in our faces a bit.

“You are quite the schemer. So. You steal my disc… Then you have your ‘expert’ run me around in circles, huh?” Asav chuckled. “That’s clever!” He then walked over to a stand with a slot embedded in it; a perfect fit for the disc. “Perhaps there’s a little Indian blood in you after all.” He said looking at Chloe. She narrowed her eyes at him fiercely as he pushed in the disc. Suddenly, a floodgate seemed to open up and the floor split apart. Water came rushing out, misty winds pushing at us as it seemed to empty out a room. Belur was just full of secrets.

“Sure… I’ll take the credit…” I heard her say, amazed by what had been set off. The floor we sat on wobbled a little then began to sink like an elevator. I looked over at Sunny to see her stink eyeing the man who captured us as he posed proudly, like he put in the work to find this place. I didn’t like him either. He wouldn’t have found shit if it weren’t for us. I scoffed, shaking my head in disbelief. The cohonés on this guy, eh? The floor continued to sink until golden sculptures carved into the walls began to appear, covered in algae from having been underwater for so long. Before us at the end of a long hall was a massive brass door. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was finally it. That after all we’d been through, that we had finally found the Tusk of Ganesh. Selfishly thought by me: even just laying eyes on it would be worth it to me. Even if I didn’t make it. It was the same for any treasure. You just never know which would be your last. And my chances of getting out of this alive were looking kind of grim. 

“Well… Let’s finish what we started.” He said in a low tone, signaling the men to grab us as he started down the hall first. One of the men grabbed me by the arm, roughly yanking me to my feet, just like the others.

“All right, all right!” I grumbled abrasively at the man who pointed and poked his gun into my back.

“ _ Move! _ ” The man snapped as all four of us seemed to get pushed towards the door.

I puffed my chest out with an annoyed huff, looking behind me to see if Sunny was okay. She clearly was but I figured I ask anyway. “You alright back there, sweetheart?!” I shouted back to her. She just frowned and looked away from me.

“I’m fine.” She grumbled. Maybe she wasn’t okay. I made a mental note to talk with her at some point. Then I looked beside me. The smaller woman snarled at me, ready to take my head off. Had she not been cuffed, I’d probably be dead by now. I’m grown enough to admit that. But I wouldn’t back down without a fight, myself.  _ Honestly _ , I just couldn’t help but laugh. I mean of all the people to come back into my life…

“So.  _ Nadine Ross— _ ” I chuckled.

“Don’t talk to me.” She told me abruptly. I just chuckled.

“I  _ was _ gonna say you look good but—”

“Was I not clear?!” She hissed. I chuckled to myself again as I heard Sunny groan loudly.

“Christ, Sam. You just flirt with anythin’ that breathes, huh?” She commented.

“I  _ what?! _ ” I was so taken aback my voice cracked. “Me and Ross?”

“In your dreams, Drake.” Nadine said, rolling her eyes.

“Trust me, sister, when I close my eyes at night I am  _ not _ thinkin’ of you.” I replied, stopping in my tracks to make sure she knew I truly meant that. One of them men pushed at me telling me to move again and I obliged. I sighed and shook my head. Unbelievable. Why would Sunny even think something like that? Granted I hadn’t really given her much reason to  _ not _ think that… Nadine let out an aggrieved groan, making a disgusted expression at me.

“What's that smell?” She asked. Now she was just trying to wind me up.

“Oh, sorry. I haven’t exactly had access to running water and soap recently.” I told her in a nettling tone. I just couldn’t believe this. “God. Of  _ all  _ the people you coulda brought with you—”

“Ugh- just shut up! Don’t talk about her that way!” Sunny snapped. My eyebrows shot  _ right  _ up. I turned around to look at her incredulously as I kept my feet moving.

“ _Are you serious right now?! Why_ are you defending her?! Honey, in case you forgot, she literally _shot_ _you_ in Libertalia! Okay- _and_ she tried to kill Nathan, _and I_ , on numerous occasions!” My pique face twisted up in confusion.

“And she’s saved both of our asses... on numerous occasions.” Sunny rebutaled, looking at Chloe.

“Also to be quite fair, you two tried to kill her as well, so….” Chloe jumped in.

“Boom.” Sunny said, nodding in her direction. I croaked weakly.

“A— I… Well that’s not the point! The point is, the  _ second  _ we turn our backs, there  _ will _ be a knife in there.” I didn’t trust the witch. Anything could compromise us with her around.

“Funny because she said the exact same thing about you.” Chloe mumbled.

“I don’t like this. I don’t like it at all— I don’t want her anywhere  _ near _ what we’re doin’ here.” I said.

“I can hear every word you’re saying—” Nadine said under her breath.

“ _ I know! _ ” I barked at her.

“I… trust her.” Chloe said.

“So do I.” Sunny added and Nadine turned to briefly shoot them both a friendly smile. Sunny grinned at her pleasantly and Chloe seemed to blush a little. I scoffed and shook my head.

“Fucking fantastic…” I grumbled. Then I raised my voice again. “You— You know what? Fine. I guess I’m just a  _ little bit  _ irked that we are walking away with  _ nothing. _ ” Then I turned to Nadine and narrowed my eyes, speaking down to her from a true place of hate and spite. “But I guess you know what that’s like, right?” Next thing I knew, she bared her teeth, growling as she drove her shoulder into my side to knock me off balance. But I managed to stay on my feet. I could hear Sunny giggling a little and Chloe exclaim a second. “Oh yeah!  _ Real classy _ , thank you.” 

“Time and a place, children.” Chloe commented. I grunted and snarled a little.

“More where that came from.” Nadine said to me, raising a thin brow at me.

“Bike racks, after school.” I replied, flaring my nostrils. Chloe sighed.

“Is he always like this, love?” I heard her ask Sunny.

“Yup.” Sunny answer simply and quickly. I wasn’t  _ that  _ bad. At least I didn't think…

Suddenly, we stopped. Asav stood waiting at the door for us and he gestured to bring Chloe up front. She slipped between Nadine and I and nudged the door open with her shoulder. The group followed behind her into a massive torch lit brass room. Two statues stood before us on either side. One of Ganesh, the other of Parash-something. Both parties were baring weapons to attack each other. Between them was a stand with a slot that would fit the disc. And on the walls were scrambled pictures. Two rings and a center. As soon as we set foot in the dim room, a clunking noise sounded and the axe guy began to shift its pose, raising his weapon to Ganesh. “That’s ominous…” I commented upon entering. The men behind us then grabbed us up to sit us on the floor before the contraption. Asav walked around the room examining the situation. Then he stopped to look up at the axe wielder before speaking to us.

“It seems the old kings have one final test…” he said lowly.

“Looks like you won’t be needing us then so—” I heard Sunny say with a nervous laugh, attempting to just stand up and walk away. The man that held her at gunpoint grabbed her shoulder and struck her in the face. Immediately I struggled against my captor for even laying a finger on her. But Sunny groaned and shook off the pain. She was a strong woman and she continued to impress the hell outta me.

“Oh, on the contrary!” He said before locking eyes with Chloe. “Surely  _ you  _ know the story?” He gestured to the man behind her and he began to let her loose. He pushed her over to Asav and he chuckled, placing a hand on her back as they both looked up at the statue. “You see… Shiva gave Parashurama the mighty axe— that struck Ganesh in the face— bringing Shiva’s son, one of the greatest of gods, to his knees.” Then he raised the disc between the two of them. “Another casualty of war.” I knew exactly what he was doing. We all did. He didn’t care whether she lived or died through this. He just wanted that tusk.

“ _ Don’t. _ ” Nadine growled.

“Seriously, Chloe, he’s just gonna kill—” I tried to fight against my captor, rising to my feet to get to her, but he knocked me in the back of my head. I fell face first into the ground and he grabbed me by my collar to sit me up again. I huffed in frustration. We were outnumbered and they all had guns. I didn’t like those odds.

“He’s right. But if you refuse…” he gestured to us. Next thing I knew, Nadine let out a yelp, she’d been struck down, then Sunny, then myself. They began to beat us mercilessly; kicking us, striking us with their guns, never letting up. As I laid on the floor, repeatedly being kicked in the stomach, I locked eyes with Sunny as she beared the same treatment, tears falling down her dirt covered cheeks from the pain. “You will watch them die  _ inch by inch _ .” He said maliciously. 

“Oh baby, I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” I managed to say to her between beatings. These men were being way too harsh for as small as Sunny was. They could break something. Chloe bit her lip as she watched us tearfully, stress pulling at her features.

“OKAY! All right!” Chloe shouted. Suddenly, the beatings stopped and she snatched the disc from his grasp, glaring at him before looking back to check on us.

“Chloe… don’t do this!” Sunny coughed, trying to catch her breath as she struggled to sit up. “Asav, let me do it— I’ve been handling every contraption and puzzle here—” My eyes widened and I immediately disagreed.

“Sunny, what the hell are you d—” I exclaimed but she wasn’t hearing it.

“Chloe, let me do this for you. For your dad—”

“Sunny, no!” I begged.

“He’s right, Sunny. You’ve done  _ more _ than enough and I’m grateful. Rest, China.” She said to her and Sunny sobbed. “I can take it from here.” With that, Asav stepped aside to let her do what she needed to do.

“Frazer…  _ please _ be careful…” Nadine begged, tears beginning to swell in her bright brown eyes. I huffed, shaking my head. The job wasn’t supposed to go like this. This was meant to be a quick and easy pay. But here we were. About to die. Again. 

It was only minutes. Not too long for a woman as smart as her to figure it all out. To pull some levers and put the puzzles on the wall together. She used the disc as a dial to turn and position everything properly. “Chloe, don’t give this shmuck what he wants!” I exclaimed. I couldn’t stand it when people got what they hadn’t worked for. Asav threw a punch at my jaw to shut me up but we all know how hard that really is to do. All the while we watched her anxiously as she completed the final puzzle.

“He’s yielding…” she whispered suddenly. Just as the final piece clicked, the statue of Parashurama raised his weapon higher, ready to strike.

“The axe! It’s going to fall!” Nadine exclaimed.

“Quiet.” Asav said sternly, watching her closely with intent.

“Ganesh…. quite an obstacle you’ve placed in my path…” she said. I could see her mumbling to herself and I leaned over to Sunny.

“Do  _ you  _ know what the hell she's talkin’ about?” I asked her. She didn’t even look at me. She kept her eyes fixed on Chloe as she answered me.

“Ganesh allowed himself to get hit… He chose peace...” she said. It still didn’t make any sense to me, but I watched all the same. Chloe turned the dial until all of Ganesh’s hands were at his side. All of his weapons were down.

“What are you doing?” Asav exclaimed.

“Just shut up and watch.” Chloe spat. Just as all his arms were down, the statue of Parashurama swung his axe swiftly through the air. Sunny squealed, worried her friend would be hurt but the blade stopped right at her throat. Chloe gasped and took a deep breath. It was over.

“Huh?” Asav was confused.

“Are you alright?” Nadine asked.

“Yeah… I’m fine…. That was unexpected.” Chloe said, finally taking the time to breathe.

“ _ Holy shit _ , she’s got balls, eh?” I commented as I exhaled, relieved that she was okay. To tell you the truth, I was holding my breath the entire time. Asav seemed so frustrated. He wanted bloodshed so bad he practically threw a tantrum.

“I don’t— I don’t understand…” he said. After looking over all the imagery around the room, the story finally clicked. I smirked.

“It’s an idiom.” I mumbled.

“You’ve got it all twisted, my friend.” Chloe grinned. “Ganesh allowed himself to get struck by the axe.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” He growled, stalking towards her as the statues began to descend into the floor.

“Not to a selfish prick like you— I imagine it wouldn’t.” She smirked as the men began to lift us all to our feet and cuff her again. “See, Ganesh could’ve defeated Parashurama _easily._ _But if he had,_ that would’ve made _Shiva’s_ axe look weak. Powerless.”

“Ganesh sacrificed himself to protect his father’s honor.” Nadine smiled.

“See, even she gets it and there’s not a drop of Indian blood in her.” Chloe smized. The men began to cuff us to the railings that surrounded the statues side by side. Just then, the control stand began to raise and display a marvelous piece of treasure. Sitting upon s golden altar was the Tusk. Asav’s eyes grew the size of plates as he slowly walked over to retrieve it. He lifted it carefully with both hands and turned to show it to us all. Boy, looking at it, I could only  _ imagine _ how much money we’d get for that thing. It was a blue gem, the tip of it dipped in gold and silver, decorated with smaller gemstones. It was truly a sight to behold. I suddenly understood why the Hoysala went through so much to protect it. Asav shook his head in disbelief, like he could almost cry. But you’d have to have emotions for something to hit you like that. Asav had none.

“Magnificent, isn’t it?” He said, lost in admiring the treasure in his hands. All of us went quiet. Despite all we’d gone through, we were indeed leaving here with… nothing. Not even our lives. “Oh, what? Nothing to say now?” 

“If you want, I can tell you to shove it up your ass.” I heard Sunny say. I tried to contain it but I chuckled a little. That was my girl. Always fighting until the very last second. He just smirked with an evil glint in his eyes as his men began to set up stacks of C-4 around the room.

“I would  _ love  _ to kill you myself, but we must not anger the gods… For you have brought me a  _ great  _ fortune.” He said, staring down at the shiny piece in his hand.

“Okay, then… So what are you doin’?” I asked nervously.

“He’s going to flood the chamber.” Nadine said, glaring at the man before us. He looked up for a brief moment in what I thought might’ve truly been some sincerity.

“I will miss you.” He said simply before turning to leave. That’s when we all started to panic a little. Tugging on our cuffs, hoping that just maybe they were weak enough to let us go but it was to no avail.

“C’mon, is this  _ really  _ necessary?!” Chloe exclaimed as we watched him take the disc from the slot and the controls sunk back into the floor.

“You know, nothing is ever truly destroyed. Only purified and reborn.” He said. I groaned. He was always going on about this stuff. He had a sick way of looking at anything negative as a positive. Always preaching purification through destruction in the most dramatic ways.

“Just shoot us and get it over with!” Nadine snapped.

“Right?” I, for once, agreed with her. Nobody was here to see all his “ _ splendor _ ”. It was just us. A couple thieves looking to get rich. We didn’t need all the flashy bullshit. If you want us dead, kill us and be done with it. He and he crew took the elevated contraption out of the room, looking down at us as he spoke. 

“As the water fills your lungs, you will have time to reflect on the choices that brought you here. Perhaps in your next lives, you will fare better.” He said before disappearing above us. And just like that, we were alone.

“Prick.” Chloe mumbled. I sighed. I wasn’t seeing a way out of this for any of us.

“I dunno about you guys, but I got  _ a loootta _ regrets swimming in my head right now.” I said.

“Good.” Sunny said simply. I scoffed. That was it. I’d had it.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Sunny? You’ve been giving me the third degree for the past hour!”

“If you don’t fucking know, then I’m not tellin’ you. Figure it out.” She growled. Her brows knitted together in the middle, her face all twisted up angrily, and I could practically see the steam leaving her ears. I was flabbergasted. I barely saw her these past few days. What could I have possibly done wrong? Other than get her trapped here to die beside me.

“This is ridiculous.” I grumbled.

“Tell me about it. I was really looking forward to kicking your ass again—” Nadine grunted, struggling against her cuffs.

“Yeah, y’know What? I’m not exactly  _ thrilled _ about drowning next to you either—” I snapped.

“I  _ should  _ let her kick ya ass.” Sunny added.

“Sunny—!” I shouted.

“ _ Oh, would you give it a rest, guys?! _ I’m trying to concentrate…” Chloe exclaimed, getting us all to shut up.

“What are you doing?” Nadine asked. I looked behind her to see her slipping a bobby-pin off of the brown leather cuff she wore.

“A little preparation goes a  _ long  _ way.” She smirked.

“Ahaha! Yes! That’s my girl!” I laughed, suddenly excited and anxious to get free.

“Is she now?” I heard Sunny mumbled. I began to panic a little. Everything was just coming out wrong.

“Sweetheart, that’s not what I—”

A loud explosion before us cut me off. Then two more around the room, blowing massive holes in the wall. Water came gushing into the room and it was filling up fast. Once she’d freed herself, I anxiously tugged at the handcuffs as water pooled around our ankles.

“Great! Now do me!” I said. But she went to Nadine first.

“Ladies first!” She exclaimed as the water began to rise to our waists. Then another explosion sounded. The water rose even quicker.

“Chloe, dear, not to rush you, but could you  _ hurry the hell up?! _ ” I shouted.

“Don’t fuckin’ yell at her!” Sunny snapped.

“Jesus!” I grunted in frustration as the water hit my chest. That’s when I realized Sunny was already going head first underwater. Boy, it sure pays to be short, huh? I began to worry more now. She was struggling.

“Deep breaths!” Chloe shouted. 

Suddenly, all of us were underwater. It was dark and quiet nothing could be heard but the sound of the water pushing its way in. I looked over at Sunny and she was beginning to lose the fight. She was slowing down and her head started to lower. I rigged against my restraints, devastated that I couldn’t get to her. Nadine was set free and then she went to get Sunny. She freed her rather quickly but Sunny wasn’t moving. I saw her body jolt a little then go completely still. Even thought I was underwater, I most certainly felt tears coming on. I uselessly yelled her name and all that came out were bubbles. Chloe went to get me free next but an explosion went off again and the bobby-pin fell from her hand. She dove down to feel around the ground for it but she couldn’t find it quick enough. And I wasn’t sure how much longer these old lungs could hold air. She tugged on the railing as hard as she could, hoping that it would come loose but it didn’t work. I nodded in Sunny’s direction, hoping she’d just take her to the surface. She looked back at me sadly but I nodded and smiled at her. Letting her know that it was okay to let me go. As long as Sunny was safe, I didn’t mind dying like this. I watched as she swam over to grab Sunny’s hips and pushed her up, grabbing her hand and dragging her with her as she swam to the surface. Just when I had accepted my fate, I heard a loud noise behind me. When I turned around, I saw Nadine bashing the chains with a massive rock until they came apart. The moment they did, the two of us swam up to catch up with the girls. We swam in between massive pieces of sinking debris and swam as fast as I could. Before we knew it, the top of my head broke the surface and I was gasping for air. 

“Are you good?” Nadine asked me.

“Yeah. I’m good.” I sighed, treading the water. “I gotta quit smokin’.” I joked. When I looked up on the ledge, Chloe was hovering over Sunny’s body, pressing into her chest. “Oh, no….” I shivered, swimming over with haste and climbing onto the ledge to kneel beside her. Her newly tanned skin was cold and a little pale, covered in bruises and a few cuts. Her eyes were closed so peacefully it looked like she was sleeping. “No, no…. C’mon, sweetheart!” I exclaimed. When Chloe finished her chest compressions, I pinched her nose and carefully breathed into her. “C’mon, baby- don’t do this…” I could feel myself breaking down as we repeated this for some time. And yet she still didn’t move. I let out a rather vulnerable sob as I pushed the short curls back off her face, kissing her forehead before breathing more air into her.

“ _ Sunflower… _ ” Chloe grunted in a warning tone. “Wake your cute ass up, love— Fight it, Sunny, come on!” I couldn’t lose her. Not like this. Not with her so upset with me. Not before I got to see her smile and hear her laugh again. Before I got to hold her again… Before I got to tell her I— Suddenly, Sunny shot straight up, coughing up a lot of water. Chloe grabbed hold of her, keeping her close to her chest as Sunny began to panic a little. 

“You’re all right, love, you’re all right!” She cooed. I just rubbed her back as she coughed. She hyperventilated and Chloe just rocked her, speaking gentle words of comfort in her ear. I just held her shaky hands, stroking the back of them with my thumbs, looking over her to make sure she was okay. After a couple minutes, she had calmed down. And I had calmed down. I was worried sick. I kissed her hands firmly and shook my head. I’d never been so scared to lose anyone like that…

“Can you stand?” I asked her, placing a hand on her cheek but she knocked my hand away and stood up all her own.

“I’m fine.” She said sternly, pacing back and forth slowly to get her balance back. I stared at her, just a little hurt. “Thanks for that.”

“Cut it a little close don’t ya think?” I said to Chloe. She frowned and readied her mouth the say something but Sunny was already in front of it.

“She did the best she could, Sam. Shut up.” She grumbled, clearing her throat, reaching out to help her up.

“I’m just sayin—”

“Get down!” Nadine exclaimed, cutting me off. All of us did as we were told and bent our knees to get lower to the grass. A massive helicopter flew overhead.

“Think they saw us?” Sunny asked.

“No we should be fine… but how the hell did he get that helicopter?” Nadine asked.

“Maybe it’s the buyers?” I answered looking between the three of them.

“Buyers?” Sunny asked.

“Oh now you wanna talk to me?” I snapped at her in a petty fashion.

“Lookit here, boy—” Sunny began and I was fully prepared to get into it with her but Chloe broke it up.

“Ah, yah! What do you mean buyers?” She asked me, placing a hand on my arm.

“I overheard Asav talkin’ about uh… heading to the old rail yard— somethin’ about an arms deal?” I told her. Various groans went around and Sunny threw her arms over her head.

“That little twat waffle…. He’s sellin’ the goddamn tusk.” She said. Chloe scoffed.

“So much for preserving his culture.” She mumbled, pulling on her binoculars and walking to the edge of the rock we stood on to look around and Sunny followed. Nadine began to go too but I stopped her a moment. I hated her, but I had to thank her.

“Hey, just, just a second… um… Listen… back there...” I gestured to the hole we just swam out of. “Thanks for—”

“I didn’t do it for you.” She told me rather abruptly. We both looked at Sunny as she talked to Chloe. I huffed and began fidgeting with my cuticles again.

“Well thanks anyways.” I said awkwardly.

“Ja.” She replied and I nodded.

“So we’re good?” I asked.

“No.” She answered curtly before walking away to join the others. I should’ve expected that. I approached the group as we all gathered around and Chloe tucked away her binoculars, bouncing on her toes anxiously. Sunny on the other hand was already on her way down the rocks.

“What is she—” I began to ask but there was no point. I was already being talked over.

“If we hurry, we can intercept them before they make the sale. And Sunny is on her way to secure our ride.” Chloe said. Even though I was annoyed, once again the girl managed to impress me. I looked over the edge just as she’d jumped onto an insurgent’s back, his neck tightly cradled in between her muscled arms. He fell in an instant. She patted him down for keys and hopped into the car, waiting for us.

“Well what are we waiting for then?” Nadine exclaimed, starting down the rocks. I grabbed a hold on Chloe’s arm before she could get away and pulled her aside for a moment.

“Ay, uh… do you know what’s goin’ on with Sunny?” I asked her. Her bright eyes widened and shifted about nervously as she chewed on her lip.

“I um… sort of let it slip that we slept together—”

“ _ Ah, goddammit, Chloe— _ ” I snapped but she argued back.

“Hey! I didn’t know you two were together!”

“We’re not together! Well… not exactly…”

“You might as well be, mate.”

“So I keep hearin’...” I sighed. Oh, great. Of course that’s why she’s pissed. I was stupid to think I could keep that from her. I placed my hands on my hips and shook my head, kicking up loose rocks.

“You need to talk to her, Sam. I’ve already said my piece to her. Fix it.” She said, poking a finger into my chest. Then she did it once more for emphasis. “ _ Fix it. _ ” With that, she started down the rocks and left me with myself for a second. Boy, did I have a lot of explaining to do….


	18. Chapter 18

**_Sam’s POV_ **

  
  


I sighed as the wind pushed back my hair, air drying myself and my clothes a bit. Also it was hot as hell. So this nice breeze was doing me a great service. I wiped the shmutz off the tinted glass of a pair of aviators I happened to find in the back seat. “These are nice, heh?” I said, examining the quality and putting them on my face before turning to Sunny with a rather charming smile (if I do say so myself). She didn’t even move. She stayed with her chin resting in her hand as she leaned on the side of the car; Staring at the Indian wilderness as it passed by, wind pushing at her curls. I huffed and shook my head, noticing Chloe glancing at us from the rear view mirror. She frowned a bit and then returned her eyes to the rocky path before us. 

“Look! Railroad tracks!” Nadine pointed out. Sunny’s head shot right up as she moved to the middle seat to lean forward for a better look. Right ahead in the distance was a bunch of abandoned cars on the tracks.

“We’ll stop here, then.” Chloe said, pulling on the hand brake and the car skidded in the mud for a second. All of us hopped out of the 4x4, our boots landing on the ground heavily. We all groaned. I was sure all of our bodies were aching— I, myself, was tired and sweaty. My hands were dirty and bruised (much like the rest of me) with a few cuts that had yet to be looked at. And I mean the way my knees felt after that simple jump… but it was better than being left to drown in a flooded chamber, I’ll tell you that. Luckily, my cigarettes had dried so immediately I pulled one and lit it. I needed one. With the way Sunny was acting and how this job was going, I needed a bit of nicotine in my system to help me along.

“Asav will definitely have lookouts throughout the area.” Nadine told us.

“Best be careful then, huh?” Sunny commented, adjusting her jeans.

“Right, right, right… And  _ then  _ we lose the tusk.” I added sarcastically. Sunny made a face. One I knew all too well. One she tended to make when she was done with whatever “pessimistic” outlook I tended to have on things.

“Jesus Christ, Sam—” Sunny groaned, rolling her eyes in annoyance. 

“Ay— I’m just bein’ realistic here!” I retorted. Nadine chimed in as well, also rather fed up with me.

“ _ You’re  _ welcome to stay behind if you’d like.” She said. I made a sarcastic expression, mocking her.

Chloe calmly hushed us up, shaking her head, tired of the ongoing arguments and petty comebacks between us all.

“All right, all right… Less talking, more walking.” She said before hopping off the cliff. Sunny looked at me in disbelief and forced out a rather derisive laugh.

“Sounds good to me.” She said, following Chloe off the cliff. I groaned stressfully; letting smoke fill my lungs and exit my nostrils as I watched her walk away, dropping down to the next level. I picked up my pride and began to follow them as well.

“So all that time with Asav and you couldn’t get  _ any _ intel on the buyers?” Nadine asked me. 

“He’s uh…. he’s a cagey one, Asav is. Never talked shop in front of me really.” I answered, adjusting my newfound sunglasses in the sunlight.

“Gee, I wonder why not…” I heard Sunny comment sardonically ahead of us. 

“Sunny, you’re being very puerile right now.” I said to her.

“ _ Ooo, look at the ex con using his big boy words. _ ” She replied with a rapid fire tongue. I rolled my eyes and took another drag. I decided I’d be the grown up here and ignore it… Sort of.

“Hey, he believed me long enough to think I was an expert in all this  _ Hoy-sah-la _ crap.” I said rather pigheadedly.

“It’s Hoysa- _ lah _ . Not Hoy-  _ sah _ -la.” Sunny corrected me.

“All right, Hermione.” I shrugged, trying my best not to let her get to me. But,  _ boy _ , she was really working on my nerves.

“Thanks for keeping him busy for us.” Chloe said suddenly, taking me out of my thoughts and smiling at me as she looked at me with those stunning blue eyes. It was clear to see why I slept with her to begin with. There was a calm about her that tended to ease even the most chaotic of souls. I wanted to be calmed too. I wanted to be near that energy for just a moment. But in retrospect, it wasn’t worth it. Not to have Sunny  _ this _ upset with me. I’d take it back if I could… I ran my fingers through my hair nervously and nodded, feigning a confidence that wasn’t really there to begin with.

“Yeah, I mean, I knew everything would work out…. I just wanted to buy you guys some time…. in case you were coming to get me.” I said, looking over the edge of the next cliff. She placed a gentle roughed up hand on my arm and squeezed it.

“Of course we were!” She grinned. Her energy brought a faint smile to my face and I forced a laugh, leaning towards her.

“Seriously, though. Thanks. I thought I was a goner.” I whispered to her.

“I wouldn’t let that happen.  _ Sunny _ wouldn’t let that happen.” She said, nodding in her direction. I sighed. Even being upset with me, she once again saved my ass. “ _ And _ your brother would never let me hear the end of it.” She added. I burst into laughter as I followed her across the cliff. Sunny and Nadine both looked back at me. Neither was very happy with me. They seemed to be talking amongst themselves. I could only imagine what about.

We walked along the green grass, looking out at the tracks that hovered above a misty and grassy wetland. It was rather nice if I was being honest. India had spectacular views and I was glad I got to see it all. That Sunny got to see it all. She deserved to see the world more than anybody. I finished my cigarette and tossed the filter over the edge as we came upon a waterfalled cave. Looking in, there was a mudslide inside. “Let’s find out where this goes.” Chloe said before jumping in and sliding away. I stepped aside and gestured to the cave.

“Ladies first.” I sighed. Nadine glared at me, bumping her muscular shoulder into me as she passed, knocking me off balance.

“Very mature.” I grumbled as she slid down after Chloe. Sunny just walked by and slid down without even really looking at me. I took a deep breath and slid down after her.

“I found the train tracks! Sort of….” I heard Chloe say as I approached the bottom. Sitting at the door of the hill were a bunch of broken slabs of wood. The cave probably was once part of a train route from what I gathered. As we came out onto the sunlit cliff, we could see more tracks in the distance.

“It’s weird to see everythin’ sorta go back to normal… After bein’ around Hoysala ruins all day. More modern structures are showin’ up now.” Sunny said as she looked around. I took the opportunity to attempt a conversation again.

“Well it’s either British or Portuguese. So not  _ quite _ modern. Probably around 18— _ aaand _ you don’t care…” I said, biting my lip. Sunny grunted as she dropped to the ground to follow Chloe. I threw my head back in discouragement. Nadine shrugged as she looked at me and began to go behind them. Then she stopped in her tracks and turned to look at me, her bright brown eyes narrowed.

“You did a stupid thing, Drake. She’s hurt.” She told me. I blinked at her a couple times. It seemed like she was maybe trying to….. _ help _ me. I wrinkled my bushy brows as I continued to listen to her. “I don’t know why but… she loves you. And she won’t say it. Not to your face. But I know she does care a great deal about you. Just give her some time.” She said. I was surprised. When did she start to care about how Sunny was feeling? Regardless, I took the advice and pushed on. Just as I jumped down, I watched Sunny be the first to cross a wooden beam. Immediately, that familiar niggling feeling kicked in.

“Sunny, what the hell?! Is that thing even stable?!” I yelled. She just kept going until she got to the other side.

“It’s fine. Hurry up and cross it before it’s not. Your luck, it’ll break in half.” She retorted, climbing a wall and crawling into a tight space. As she disappeared, I couldn’t help but to be surprised. Heights weren’t her thing. Now all of a sudden it’s “Balls to the Wall”, “No Guts, No Glory”? Maybe the job had cured her of her acrophobia. Or maybe I pissed her off that much…

I followed the girls across the beam and through the crawl space (And no. It didn’t break). Above us, the sound of a chopper could be heard. The winds from its propellers pushing the treetops about, shaking loose leaves to the ground. As long as we stayed in the shadows and tree lines, I knew we’d be fine. “Asav thinks we’re all dead. Let’s keep it that way.” Nadine said, before heading up more rocks. It was interesting seeing her on the other side of enemy lines. And even better, without a gun to my head. Or a knife to my throat. Maybe if I asked the right questions, I could find a glimpse of a person inside that walking dead shell. 

“So, Nadine—” I began but she growled and folded her strong arms across her chest.

“We are not on a first name basis.” She said. I chuckled.

“Okay, fine… I heard you worked for Asav, too?” I asked, carefully.

“What about it?” She grunted, narrowing her eyes and cocking a thin brow.

“I mean… How did you deal with the torture?” I asked.

“Wha… Did he torture you??”

“ _ Oh yeah... _ ” I groaned in all seriousness. He didn’t torture me physically but he might as well have. “Wouldn’t stop talkin’ about himself or his cause. Like, I get it, man. You don’t gotta sell me on it— I’m just lookin’ to make some scratch, y’know?” I chuckled lightly. Chloe shook her head and groaned.

“I can’t  _ stand _ when people prattle on incessantly.” She said, climbing the next short cliff ahead.

“God, me either.” I agreed. Then Sunny walked by making some odd noise of disgust.

“Wow, you have so much in common.” She said, staley before climbing the cliff behind Chloe. I took a deep breath to calm myself. At this point, she was really just irking me. I’m not exactly what you would call a patient man. But I was enjoying the job, to be honest. And I damn sure wasn’t gonna let her ruin it. 

We followed Chloe up the inside of a waterfall’s cave and out through thick vines. “If I had known, I would’ve packed my machete.” She said simply, herself and Nadine pushing the vines apart. The way Sunny’s face lit up when she said that, almost made me forget I was in hot water for a moment. Her big brown eyes, widening and practically shimmering as her freckled cheeks fattened up when she gave that dazzling smile. I could feel my ears burning up and I turned away to light myself a cigarette. Chloe gave her a doting smile as she passed between the vines.

“You have a machete?” She asked, softly.

“Tell you what. We make it out of this alive? I’ll mail it to you.” Chloe grunted as she struggled to keep the vines apart. She nodded to Nadine to go next but just to be an ass, I slid in at the last second.

“Thank you, good gentlewomen.” I grumbled as I weaved my slender limbs through to the other side. Sunny just crossed her arms and scoffed at me. I huffed, dropping my shoulders and gesturing to the vines. “They’re gonna need someone to hold open the other end!” I said, trying to cover myself. But truthfully, I wasn’t a  _ total  _ ass. “Come grab the other side.” I told her as I let my cigarette hang loosely between my lips. I grabbed a vine towards the middle and began to pull. 

She stared at me a moment and groaned lightly as she came to grab the other vine. She grunted as she began to pull as well, her muscles taut and flexing as she did as much as she could. Just then Nadine had come out, then Chloe. Soon as they were fine, the path was pretty clear. Even for Sunny, who had already run and jumped across the rushing ravine and was starting to climb up the seeable handholds. I rushed across after her just to make sure she’d be okay. She made it up and over the cliff with no problems. I was impressed. It was like for the first time, I was seeing Treasure Hunter Sunny Spurrs. She didn’t need me. She was excellent all on her own. Which in a way made me feel stupid for thinking my selfish thoughts before. I climbed over the cliff and Sunny reached out a hand to help me up. Just then, I could hear rocks crumbling below us. I looked down to see Chloe falling into the ravine and sliding down off a cliff. All I could hear was her screaming. The both of us (and I’m sure Nadine) gasped, calling out her name.

“Shit!” I exclaimed. But Nadine raised her hand to us a moment and listened closely. I guess she could hear something we couldn’t.

“She’s okay!” She yelled to us. “I’m gonna follow her! You two stay close! We’ll meet up!” She said before jumping into the ravine and down the mudslide, after Chloe. I could hear Sunny groan and swear loud as hell like she couldn’t stand to be with me or something. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. We didn’t have time for this.

“Alright,  _ ENOUGH! _ ” I barked, tossing my cigarette off the edge, forcing out the excess smoke from my lungs through my nostrils in an ire manner. I stood up and turned to look at her with a screwed up expression. Sunny looked at me like I had lost my mind. And maybe I had… I wasn’t so sure. “You’re gonna have to talk to me sometime...” I told her. Begged her, really. She shook her head, chuckling at me. She placed her hands on her hips and bit her lip, standing her ground.

“You really wanna do this now?” Sunny asked me, raising her voice as she approached me slowly. I nodded. I was amped up and tired of the third degree.

“When the hell else are we gonna be able to do it, Sunny?! Yeah! Yeah, I wanna do this now.  _ Right now! _ ” I said in an authoritative voice, puffing my chest out a little. A snarl curled at her lips as she boldly looked me in the eyes.

“ _ Alright then, let’s fuckin’ get to it!! _ ” She shrilled, angrily. Last time she yelled at me like this, I had left for Libertalia without her and we both thought Nathan had gotten hurt. She was just as scary as I remembered. Maybe I  _ shouldn’t  _ have picked this fight so soon. But it had to happen. We needed it out of the way so we could work without distractions. Most of all…. I just wanted my girl back. For real this time. Sunny looked up at me, her eyes never leaving mine, nostrils flaring like an angry bull and her lips pursed; possibly biting her tongue from starting off with the hard hitting questions right away. But this is Sunny we’re talking about. She couldn’t help it. It just wasn’t in her nature to be subtle or tactical in any way. She had to attack it head on.

“Chloe?  _ Really _ , bro? No offense to Chloe at all, but how desperate are you?!” She exclaimed. I had to laugh. Never in my life had I been before called….

“ _ Desperate?! _ No, sweetheart. I ain’t desperate—” I chuckled, raising my voice in irritation, both of us beginning to lose our temper.

“So then _what the_ _hell_ , Sam?!” She shouted, furrowing her brow at me. That wasn’t fair. She’d been holding onto this anger about me and Chloe for so long. Yet she hadn’t brought a word about herself to the table.

“What about  _ you?! _ Huh?!” I shouted, opening my arms to her, welcoming any excuses she could give me. I might be a hardass but I do have my feelings, too. “You don’t get to yell at me about sleepin’ with other people, Sunny!”

“ _ And why the fuck not?! _ ” She yelled. Since we were putting it all out there, I didn’t think it’d hurt if I begged the question.

“How long you been sleepin’ with him?” I asked in a tone so calm, it even scared myself. I stared her in her eyes, waiting for an answer I thought already knew. Her expression never faltered though.

“Who?” She asked, playing dumb. But she knew exactly who I was talking about.

“Erik.” I said, firmly. After I brought it up, my heart began to speed. To be honest, I was a little scared to know. But I could see she really thought I was oblivious to it all. 

“Sam—” she began.

“Do I look stupid to you?! Eh,  _ do I?! _ ” I interrupted. “D-Did ya think I didn’t notice? That I didn’t see it? All those little looks he gave you?  _ And still gives you!  _ The way he hugs and kisses all over you? ‘ _ My little Sunflower _ ’?!” I bombarded her with information and evidence that didn’t take me long to pick up during my week of being in San Francisco. She and everyone around her was an open book. The look on Erik’s face when he looked at her like she was the last source of water on earth. Like he was absolutely infatuated— no. In love with this woman. I knew it well. It was the face I made at her quite often.

“Sam, I told you he’s my best frie—” she started but I didn’t want excuses.

“ _ Just answer the goddamn question! _ ” I snapped. She was talking around in circles and I didn’t have time for it.  _ We _ didn’t have time for it.

“Since  _ long _ before I met you.” She growled, staring me deep into my eyes. I stared her down and she looked right back. I wasn’t intimidating her for anything. Why I thought I could for a moment, I didn’t know. Nobody scared Sunny Spurrs. Something about knowing officially that she slept with Erik… It hurt more than I thought. And suddenly, I began to understand how she must’ve been feeling. On the other hand though, I couldn’t help but wonder… I winced before bringing up my next question. This one I hoped wasn’t true.

“So you’ve been leading him on? Have you been leading me on?” I asked. I couldn’t be lead on. I didn’t have time for it. I was a grown man with grown man shit to do, treasures to discover. Putting energy into something that wasn’t going anywhere was the last thing I wanted to do.

“Sam, you fucked  _ several _ girls in  _ several _ countries.  _ And _ you fucked Chloe! You don’t  _ get _ to be pissed over the  _ one guy _ I fucked, out of your  _ seven! _ Did it really take so many girls to realize I was waitin’ on you?!” She exploded, throwing her arms about. Her brows knitted together and her lips curled into a snarl. I was shocked…. but she was right. As I looked into her now watering eyes, I lit myself another cigarette and shook my head. She continued on. “ _ All summer…. _ I did  _ nothin’ _ but think about you and your sorry ass!” Tears began spilling past her cheeks as she spoke. Here we go: I’d done it.

“Yes. I  _ did  _ fuck Erik. I fucked him as soon as we got back from Libertalia.  _ One time! _ It was routine. He was safe, he was my friend. And I love him so much but… I’m not in love with him. After the one time we slept together, I called it off. I couldn’t do it anymore…. I just kept thinkin’ about  _ you _ . So what’s  _ your  _ excuse asshole?!” Her lips trembled and she crossed her arms over her chest protectively, running her hands down her arms to calm her raging nerves.

I really didn’t know what to say… I began wrestling with my feelings, tapping the ashes off of my cigarette. If I kept her around, that was bye bye freedom. If I didn’t tell her how I felt, I’d lose her forever… Once I weighed these options, I knew then what I had to do. “You have no idea… how hard I tried to forget you.” was what came out. For some reason, when I argued with Sunny, things tended to come out far different than intended. In all actuality, she was the intimidating one. She made a face at my sudden comment. And I knew how it sounded already, so I took the time to get ahead of it.

“I tried...  _ so _ very hard to get over you. I didn’t want that attachment— I didn’t need it. Not when I’d just gotten my life back! Not when there was still so much to do... Selfish thinking: I thought you’d only slow me down.” She looked hurt. But I had a point to all of this. I just had to get it together. “As cheesy as it sounds…… ugh…. my heart had other plans for me. I always thought the guys in the movies were overdoin’ the whole ‘missing you’ thing but…. Every time I turned around, you were there. In a beer, in a song, in some crappy silver diner menu… some stupid bracelet...” I began, chuckling nervously as I gestured to the jewelry on her arm. She didn’t laugh but a twitch came about the corner of her full lips. She looked down at her wrist and touched the bracelet a moment as if she’d forgotten it had been there all along. I didn’t know if anything I was saying was getting through to her, but I continued anyway, just bearing my feelings to her.

“Some girl tried talking to me once… All I could see in her eyes were yours. It annoyed me to shit, so I fucked her. Hoping that just maybe… I’d stop thinkin’ about you. And it worked… Not for long though. It wasn’t until I called someone else your name that I—”

“ _ Wow _ , Sam. Is that supposed to make me feel better? That you called some other girl my name—” she said, starting to storm off but I grabbed her by the arm and ran in front of her to keep her from going anywhere.

“ _ Sunny, let me finish! _ ” I snapped. I didn’t mean to be so aggressive about it. In all honesty, it was the nerves. I couldn’t fuck this part up. I couldn’t afford to. I couldn’t afford to lose her on behalf of my stupidity. This was the important part and I needed to say it. I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest. Her expression was as still as stone but she stayed quiet and let me continue as I struggled to make sense of things.

“Chloe was like a wake up call for me. And I realized…. when it didn’t feel right… that I only wanted you. I didn’t care how— I just wanted you. And then back there, I thought you were gone…. I’d never been so worried to lose someone…. Y’know, it’s been a while since I’ve dated  _ anyone  _ and I was scared.” I said.

“Scared of what?” She asked.

“To feel…” I answered rather quickly. I hated to do it but if there was ever a time that I needed to be vulnerable, it was now. “I was scared to care… I didn’t wanna face the inevitable that I would hurt you somehow… Or that I wouldn’t be able to care for you like you’d want… I might’ve gotten what you wanted a little confused. But I think I get it now...” Her expression softened a little and I approached her, linking my large pinky with her small first finger, gently swinging out hands between us. I chewed on my lip and looked off a moment before staring into her hypnotizing brown eyes. It was time that I owned up to my mistakes…

“I shouldn’t have expected you to wait for me… I guess I just thought that maybe when I was done with my foolishness that you’d still be there. Which was stupid of me— gorgeous as you are.” I babbled. I stared at her beautiful face and began to let the apologies pour. I’d lay it as thick as I need to. I just wanted my girl back. “I screwed up, Sun. I know that. And I know… I haven’t exactly been the best character in your life… But every second I spend with you means more to me than you even know and I can’t lose th—” Before I could even finish, Sunny placed her hands on either side of my face and brought me down to kiss her warm lips. I could feel a faint smile on her as she kissed me. I seemed to melt into her as my hands circled her waist, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. I rested my forehead against hers, parting our lips to give us a moment to breath.

“I wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you. Whether I liked it or not. Although, you kinda didn’t give me a choice so...” I laughed and a small giggle sprung from her lips. One that sounded like music to my ears. It made me smile. A bout of seriousness came around as I spoke. “I need you, Sunny. And I was wrong. You don’t slow me down  _ or  _ hold me back. You’re in this with me. And you can hold your own. I won’t doubt you again, sweetheart.” I told her. I could see her eyes dart over every feature of my face as her thumbs stroked at my cheekbones.

“I forgive you…. and I’m sorry—”

“No, no, baby— don’t be sorry. I understand why… I really do.” I cooed, caressing her cheek and staring into her eyes. “Hey… let’s table this for later, eh? Catch up with the girls, go make some money? Maybe stop an arms deal or somethin’?” I asked, running my hands down her arms. She gave the airiest giggle. Boy, it was much better to be on her good side than bad. The whole silent treatment/ cold shoulder shit? Brutal.

“Sounds like a plan.” She said as I threw an arm around her. Suddenly, she shoved me and leaned back away.

“What?” I asked in confusion. She tuned up her face and covered her nose with her hand.

“Ross was right. You smell like ass.” She croaked our. I burst into laughter.

“Oh fuck off, loser!” I grinned, flipping her off. She just interlocked her fingers with mine and kissed my cheek.

“Let’s go do work.” She said with a smirk. And with that, we were off to finish the job.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: if there’s any errors, they’ll get fixed I promise lol

**_Sunny’s POV_ **

  
  


Before I knew it, Sam and I were walking hand in hand through a cave; hoping it would at least allow us to meet up with the girls at some point. The two of us began talking about the job. Sam had so many stories about his time with Asav and his insurgents. Well complaints mostly. Talking his ear off about a cleansing so magnificent people would remember his name for years to come or some biggity bullshit like that. I didn’t think anything of it. But I only half listened, I mostly just looked at Sam’s face as he spoke with such vibrancy and enthusiasm about everything. I missed it. I missed him… I loved him really. We came upon a mudslide and Sam insisted on going first so he did. Caught a bit of air time, too. When it came time for me to jump, he opened his arms to me.

“How much ya wanna bet I’ll catch you in midair?” He grinned, readying himself excitedly. I smirked to myself as I watched him. I missed being with him like this.

“It depends on how high I get.” I said.

“Well you’re small and compact so  _ I reckon you’ll get pretty up there. _ ” He smiled at me, suddenly imitating my accent terribly. I made a face before lowering myself to slide down and found myself thrown a few extra feet or so into the air. He reached out and grabbed me by my waist, my feet didn’t even touch the floor. I felt like a long cat just being held up for everyone to see. I looked down as the toes of my boots dangled above the grass and back him.

“I’m unamused.” I stated simply and he just sat me down with a hearty chuckle.

“Well I laughed.” He said and I punched him in the arm playfully. He grabbed my hand and kissed it as he led us from the cave.

I could see Chloe and Nadine coming up from the edge of the cliff across the way just as we were coming out. I tapped Sam on the chest with the back of my hand and pointed them out. “Hey!” I shouted to them. And we both waved our arms. We all followed the train tracks to meet in the middle but quite literally, the middle was taken out. A huge chunk of the tracks were missing and a gap separated us.

“Well shit.” Sam cursed, placing his hands on his hips as he looked down.

“Can’t you just jump?” Nadine asked. I chuckled.

“I’m flattered that you think I’m capable of superhuman feats but uh…. that’s a little far.” He said, eyeballing the distance between us. I then raised my hand before speaking.

“Also, I’m a little deficient in the leg area. Don’t know if you forgot or anything…” I said, jokingly.

“Shrimp.” He teased and I elbowed him in the sides a little with a smirk.

“Just hang on! We’ll get you across…” Chloe said, looking around for something to help us. Suddenly, Chloe called over Nadine to help her move an empty train cart. 

“You sure about this guys?” I asked as I watched them struggle to push the cart across the tracks.

“Yep… we got it!” I heard Chloe’s strained voice say. “Go!” She said as the cart then settled into position. I didn’t think— hardly hesitated. Immediately, I ran ahead.

“Sunny—  _ Jesus! _ ” I heard Sam shout. But I was already soaring. I’d jumped half the gap and onto the cart, running to jump off on the other side safely. I ran back to grab the cart with the girls. It was  _ ridiculously _ heavy. And it was beginning to roll off the edge. I bared my teeth as we tried our darndest to hold it up.

“Ugh! Sam, c’mon!” I yelled. I could feel the bar slipping from my grip.

“Alright here goes nothing!” I heard him say before getting a decent running start. This man leapt across, ran up the platform a little  _ too  _ fast, and lost his footing jumping off just as the cart had finally become too heavy for us to hold any longer. He yelped as he launched himself off the cart and flew through the air, falling face first into the mud and breaking a lense on his newfound aviators. The cart simply fell over the edge. 

“Owww…. shit.” He groaned.

“Aww,  _ baby _ …” I cooed, running to his side to help him up. “You okay?”

“Yep….  _ Go team… _ Can’t say the same for the shades though.” He grumbled as he rose to his feet, taking the broken glasses from his face. He looked at them sadly and tossed them over the cliff.

“Welp! There’s always your birthday.” I sighed as I cracked my knuckles, relieving the tension from my fingers and patting his shoulders. 

“Well, come on. We need to keep moving. We’re too exposed here.” Nadine said militantly, moving ahead of the group. Chloe followed her and Sam hung back a bit as he threw an arm over my shoulder, strolling slowly.

“Y’know, I feel  _ so _ much safer with her around.” He said, sarcastically. In my opinion, he needed to suck it up. Nadine was here to stay. She was a friend and I trusted her now. Like I said, I protected my friends. Even from my…. 

‘ _ My… _ ’

“She helped us  _ find _ your goofy ass, y’know.” I told him, turning my nose up at his _ very serious _ body odor, punching him playfully.

“Oh no, yeah!” He said in a really higher octave, shrugging his shoulders. “She just wants to kill me, is all.” He then mumbled under his breath. But I heard him.

“Well then, don’t piss her off!” I growled at him, pushing him in the back a little bit. He just chuckled, sniffling and pushing back his dark locks. 

“Yeah. Alright.” He snorted. I stared at him, wincing at his boyishness. 

“Just don’t be a dick, Sam.” I sighed, begging him to behave for a few more hours. He was gonna throw a tantrum and complain about it either way. 

“ _ Alright, alright… _ I can be good.” He groaned in a defeated tone. I raised my eyebrows and stared at him.

“Can you?” I asked. He stuck his tongue out at me childishly and kissed my forehead before meeting up with the girls at the wall we needed to get over. Nadine went up first, managed to find a sturdy enough pole to climb.

“This should be easy for you.” Sam joked, nudging me. He knew it was coming and tried to get away but he just wasn’t quick enough. I punched him square in the back. Granted, it was funny, I chuckled a bit.

“All right, Sam. Age before beauty.” Chloe said, gesturing to the pole. This time, I called.

“Get it? It’s cuz you’re old—”

“I got it, Sunny.” Sam grumbled as he began to climb. I covered my smile as I watched him climb. His arm muscles were tightening as he used them.

“You’re only going first because she’s afraid I’ll leave you down there.” Nadine commented.

“Is she wrong in assuming?” Sam asked as he reached the top.

“No.” She answered, simply. Sam shrugged. Probably wondering why he even asked when he already knew the answer.

“Mmkay well uh…. I’m gonna go scout ahead…” he said before leaning over the edge to look down at me. He was tired of fighting and tired of the petty arguments and I could it. “You okay, sweetheart?”

“I’m good! You can go!” I replied before he suddenly disappeared. When I reached the top, Nadine helped me up. Then I knelt down to help her hold the pipe steady for Chloe.

“You know I wouldn’t _ really _ leave him, right?” She suddenly asked me. I looked her in her amber colored eyes and smiled.

“I know. And I know you’re just giving him a hard time but uh… ease up on him. He won’t admit it but he’s actually a sensitive baby.” I said with a cheeky grin. She just giggled and reached out to help Chloe up before we pushed on. 

We followed where Sam scouted ahead, leading us to a rockslide. I found myself swinging from my rope, into an opening in the side of the mountains. The girls and I slid in one by one. As I speedily approached Sam, sliding along the rocks, I noticed he was crouched low behind a massive supply box. I kept myself low as he placed a hand on the small of my back, peeking over the box to see what was going on. He hushed me with gentle whispers, never taking his eyes off of the scene before us. Two men in familiar tan fatigues, bright red hats, and bulletproof vests stood armed with machine guns, chatting casually about what they were doing here. I noticed the patches on their arms and began to stain my eyes to get a better look at them. “Hey, doesn’t that look like—” 

“It’s Shoreline. I thought we got rid of these guys— ow!” He said insensitively and I made a face, smacking him in the chest. He yelped a little and massaged the spot where he’d been hit. There was no way they’d be here for….. I mean, would they? ‘ _ Shit… _ ’ I thought as I looked back at Nadine and Chloe sliding down. She wasn’t gonna like this at all. I grabbed their shoulders to keep them down in cover, hushing them with a finger over my lips. I didn’t know how to tell her. I just watched Nadine carefully as she peered over the supply box.

“Well it doesn’t look like there’s many of them.” Sam began. “I think we can take them—”

“Shh, wait…” Nadine whispered. All of us somehow managed to quiet our breathing as best as we could to listen to them talk.

“That Asav guy doesn’t do anything halfway, eh?” One of the men said with an exasperated chuckle. I looked over at Nadine and she went stone faced as she watched the two mercenaries converse amongst each other. Practically confirming the worst for her. Shoreline was part of the arms deal. But what were they giving in exchange? ‘ _ Fuuuck… _ ’ I thought. She sat clenching her jaw and tightening her fists. She was like a boiling kettle getting ready to scream. Chloe leaned closer to her, placing a hand on her back with a concerned expression. 

“Hey… You cool?” She asked.

“Ja. I’m cool.” Nadine replied with a strongly furrowed brown, nodding as if trying to convince herself. Chloe suddenly put a hand on her tensed forearm and looked her in the eyes.

“‘Cause I need you to be cool…” she told her, reiterating the importance of her statement through tone. Nadine flared her nostrils and flashed an annoyed expression.

“ _ I’m cool. _ ” She said rather angrily. I wasn’t so sure about that. I could see the impulse shining in her eyes as she chewed on her lower lip. 

“ _ All right… I see what to do here… _ ” I heard Sam mumble to himself before addressing the rest of us. “Okay, ladies, here’s the plan. I’m gonna take the guy on the right, Sunny you go left, and then  _ you two _ can just—” As all of us turned to listen to him, I could see movement from the corner of my eye. Nadine growled and grunted before rising to her feet and charging towards the two mercenaries before us.

“Aw, shit.” I frowned, pulling on the knife in my holster knowing I’d have to fight now.

“She  _ said _ she was cool!” Chloe shrugged, shouting above the gunfire that began to ring out in the small bricked quarters. I groaned. She really could be so…… ugh, sometimes. 

She ran out to begin kicking the men when she accidentally kicked a grenade off the pin on one man’s hip; she sent it flying into the collapsed entrance in front of them and all the rocks that had piled up, exploded and loosened up the pile. “Think they heard us?” I asked sardonically. The mercenaries and Nadine were thrown back by the pressure of the explosion but it didn’t stop her from rising to her feet to fight again. I shook my head as I watched Sam and Chloe rush into the fight. It didn’t take long for us to finish but the fight was unnecessary; One we actually could’ve avoided but… As I stole a pistol from the grip of a man, I threw him over my shoulder and put two bullets in his chest. The fight ended with Sam kicking somebody off the higher ground. They fell and didn’t get up.

“I think that’s the last of ‘em.” Sam said as he stretched his back and long limbs before approaching us. All of us were left staring at Nadine. I’d never seen her go into a fight so recklessly before. 

“What in the hell was that?!” I exclaimed to her, pointing to the supply box we hid behind when she decided to lose her shit. Nadine just rolled her eyes and set into her hip.

“What? I was following Chloe’s example—”

“ _ Now?! _ ” I exclaimed to her. She sighed solemnly and crossed her muscular arms.

“There is  _ no way _ in letting anyone from Shoreline get that Tusk.” She said firmly. She looked us all in the eyes. Chloe and I nodded, knowing what this meant for her. Sam suddenly groaned and placed his hands on his hips as he looked at the mess before us.

“Well… that grenade killed our exit.” He said.

“Maybe, maybe not… Lemme take a look…” I said, moving towards the debris. He put a hand on my arm to stop me.

“Now just wait a minute. No need to go rushing into any…. _ death traps _ —” He said and I crossed my arms, making a face at him

“Stop being dramatic. It’s just debris—”

“It’s  _ dangerous _ —”

“ _ It’s all balanced on top of somethin’! _ ” 

We argued back and forth like this for a few seconds when I saw Chloe move towards the debris from the corner of my eye. I turned my head to watched her examine a breach in the collapse behind a fallen beam.

“I think we can squeeze through here. I just need to…” She grunted as she tried to lift the beam by herself but it barely moved. “Help me with this.” She groaned and Nadine came rushing to help. 

I gave Sam a stink eye and joined them as well. We lifted the beam with all our might, slowly but surely moving it from its position and out of the way, Chloe slipped under the beam and through the crack before us. Sam then came over and helped us move it even more.

“You alright in there, dear?!” Sam shouted as he and Nadine continued to move the beam away from the collapse. I kept my eyes on Chloe to make sure nothing happened to her.

“Yup! I’m g— ahh!” Suddenly, a boulder shifted in its place and she looked up in fear, seizing movement. I reached out to her but only a sprinkle of dust fell over her. It was quiet and the rocks hadn’t moved anymore. I took the chance to breathe then. “I’m good…” She said, her feet moving her body along as she looked up to keep watch in that boulder that moved before. She then squeezed out at the other end and placed a hand on her chest in relief. “I’ve nearly made it to the railyard. Come through this way.” She said reaching out to me. I looked back at Sam and he just took a deep breath.

“Be careful.” He said to me. I nodded and slid in between the massive rocks resting atop each other. I moved carefully, stretching my hand out to Chloe as I went through. I inched closer and closer until our fingertips brushed against one another’s. As soon as she got even a semblance of touch, she reached in to grab me and yank me out of the tight situation. After me it was a piece of cake. Sam and Nadine both made it out (Sam had a bit of a struggle size wise) but other than that, we were aces. “Alright, we’re all in one piece— let’s keep it movin’!” He said, clapping his hands. Just as we all took a step, the sound of cracking stone came from beneath our feet.

“Oh you’re fuckin’ with me….?” I sighed, worried that the ruin we stood on would collapse. But no. Instead, Chloe- who stood the closest to the edge of the cliff— stumbled a bit before the ground under her split and broke off, sending her sliding off the edge, screaming.

“Frazer!!” Nadine exclaimed looking over the edge.

“ _ I’m okaaay!! _ ” I could hear her yell.

“We’re comin’ to get ya, Chloe, just stay put!” Sam shouted before looking at us. We nodded in agreement.

“ _ I’ll meet you around the other side! _ ” She said. And with that, the three of us rushed to her aid.

  
  



	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: so....life sucks. Sorry it took so long for me to write this. Here’s a long boii to make up for it 💕

**__ **

**_  
Sam’s POV_ **

  
  


“God’s balls, she’s alive! Nadine! Over here!” I chuckled, jogging to the nearby radio tower, calling for her partner as I spotted Chloe atop an island of a ruin. I was finally able to breathe easy again. We’d been searching for her for a while. I thought she’d gone and died just like that. It wasn’t uncommon in our line of work. But I could only hope that she was okay and in one piece. When I’d found her, I was relieved more than anything. I was also impressed. Very impressed. For a woman to survive something like that... Suddenly, I could hear Sunny huff behind me. I turned to be met with a perturbed expression on her face. I could tell she was trying to hide it but she wasn’t doing very well at it. I wrinkled my brows as I watched her look around for something to help Chloe up with. 

“What is it now, Sunny?” I sighed, speaking as gently as I could.

“Nothin’, Sam.” She said with a fake smile.

“Why don’t I believe you?” I hummed, approaching her, running my fingers through her curls as I glanced over her gorgeous dirty face. I dragged a finger along her jawline and under her chin, tilting her head to have her look up at me. She just pursed her lips and raised a shapely brow, her big brown eyes coming to a slant. She huffed and stomped her foot.

“You can’t keep  _ babyin’ _ me like this.” She said, shaking her head and looking off to the scenery before us. I was lost...

“Sweetheart, what are you talking about—” I frowned. I wasn’t sure what she was going on about.

“Back there in the cave? You stopped me from goin’ through the debris? But the second  _ Chloe  _ goes off to do somethin’ dangerous—” She rolled her eyes in annoyance. I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose.

“Oh, not this again— I thought we were tabling this—”

“ _ Yeah.  _ And we’re tablin’ it.” She grunted, looking to the edge of the cliff. And with that, she walked away from me and towards Nadine as she came from the other side of the tracks. I shook my head. I just couldn't win.

“Is she alright?!” I heard Nadine ask.

“She’s fine. I don’t know how she does it…” Sunny said in disbelief. I hung my head and took a deep breath as the two ladies approached the cliff to look down at Chloe.

“Hey, China!” She shouted up, waving at Nadine with a genuine smile. An ease seemed to wash over her as she found that her partner was alive. She forced out a breath of relief and leaned over.

“You alright down there?!” Nadine asked.

“Yeah! I was fine until Sam made me picture God’s balls!” Chloe replied. I chuckled a little to myself.

“How in the  _ hell _ did you survive that?!” She shouted.

“Just lucky, I guess!” Chloe replied. The two of them seemed to laugh and blush at each other’s antics. It suddenly occurred to me what was happening there. But I decided to leave it alone. Both of them would kill me if I asked about anything.

“Do you still have your rope?!” Nadine shouted.

“Yeah I’ve got it!” Chloe answered. Nadine looked around for a moment trying to figure out what she could use to help get her up. 

“If you can climb halfway, we’ll find somethin’ for you to hang onto!” Sunny shouted.

“Sounds like a plan!” Chloe responded.

I watched Sunny just do her thing, staying out of the way since  _ evidently _ that’s what she wanted. I watched as she and Nadine found a solution in planking a thick piece of wood across the bars of the radio tower. I could see Chloe climbing up the hand holds on the side of the cliff, as high as she could before they stopped. “C’mon up, Buttercup!” Sunny shouted to her as we all cleared the front of the cliff to make room. The end of her rope shot up and wrapped around the wood tightly. You’d think this would be one of the simpler things to happen on the job but when was this ever easy on us? I quickly realized the answer was “never” as a loud creak came from the radio tower. “Shit… Be ready to grab her guys….” Sunny said as she bounced on her toes, anticipating what would happen next. She didn’t look in the least bit terrified. She’d matured as a treasure hunter over her adventure. In such a way that was actually quite refreshing.

Loud creaking and clanking noises sounded out as the tower began to buckle and tip. My eyes widened and my heart began to race, much like everyone else, I’m sure. “Shit,  _ Sunny! _ ”

“Grab the wood!” She shouted. The top half of the tower fell off, tumbling down and crashing to the ground below as the three of us ran towards the wood just as it began to roll off from its position. I wrapped my arms around it, holding it tight to my chest as I felt Chloe’s weight pull us a foot closer to the edge of the cliff. I looked over at the two ladies as they grunted, struggling to keep it in their grasp.

“Chloe, hurry! It’s slippin’!” Sunny snapped. Not too long after I too began to feel the log slip, I could see Chloe’s hands appearing at the edge of the cliff. We dropped the wood and I ran to assist her up. Once she was on solid ground and with us, I felt the atmosphere relax. I let out a deep sigh. I was worried for a second. I’d only just met her not too long ago and I’d already come to think of her as a good friend… (that I kinda slept with). 

I looked over at the others and they were catching their breaths as well. “Thanks, mate.” Chloe managed to say.

“Of course. But it was Sunny.” I said, nodding in her direction. I watched them exchange a sisterly grin and a warmth spread through my chest. I suppressed a smile and reached into my pocket to pull a cigarette.

“Alright! Let’s keep moving.” She said clapping her hands together and walking ahead, Nadine following close behind as she patted Sunny on the back. I approached her and offered a cigarette to her. She gave a massive sigh of relief and accepted it, placing it between her plush bruised lips.

“Nice save.” I complimented, flicking my zippo and lighting it for her. After a few puffs, she finally spoke.

“Thanks.” She said, starting to walk off. I sighed, trailing at her heels.

  
  


It wasn’t long before we arrived at the old abandoned rail yard. Rusted, colorful box cars just left any kinda way all over the tracks, a bridge leading back towards the mainland. Shoreline and Asav’s insurgents were posted up all over the place. There were so many. The building we crawled into was blown wide open, eroded; just left abandoned. It seemed like what was left of the room we were in used to be an office. There were still file cabinets and a couple of drawers. 

“Jesus…” I heard Sunny say as we took cover behind an old desk, examining the situation below us.

“Well, this just keeps gettin’ better and better….” I mumbled as Nadine pulled out her binoculars to take a closer look.

“You wanted a good fight, Sunflower… Here it is…” Chloe said. I looked over at Sunny to see a smirk slowly spreading across her face. It was chaotic and I loved it.

“Hold on… what’s in that crate?” Nadine asked.

“Guns… ammo maybe?” I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on but I knew this wasn’t how the mercenaries ran under her. “I thought Shoreline didn’t do arms deals—”

“We… They didn’t…” I could see she was frustrated. To see her father’s company being run this way since her absence, I was sure it killed her.

“Fuck a crate— where’s the Tusk?” Sunny grunted. Nadine looked around a few more seconds until she groaned.

“Orca.” She said. My eyebrows shot up and a goofy grin spread across my face. I absolutely  _ had  _ to see this. I pulled on my own binoculars and speaking with Asav, standing in front of the helicopter that had been circling the skies the whole time, was indeed Orca. I let out a wheezy laugh.

“Who?” Chloe asked. I’d almost forgotten for a moment that she was the only one here who wasn’t a part of that adventure.

“My former lieutenant.” Nadine sighed in vexation.

“ _ I remember this guy _ . There he is… In all his mullet glory.” I commented, making Nadine genuinely laugh. “Right? She gets it.” I could see in my peripheral Sunny chuckling and Chloe just smirking. We continued to watch the scene play out as they spoke. Eventually, they shook hands and parted ways.

“Alright. Deal’s done. Your boy, Orca, has the Tusk.” Chloe said.

“Then let’s go relieve him of it.” Nadine huffed, standing up.

“Let’s fucking go.” Sunny said, hyping herself up and clapping her hands. The ladies all stood and began to head out onto the field but I was at a loss. Nobody analyzed the area, god knows who’s posted up where and for how long—

“Woah, woah— wait a minute!” I hissed grabbing Sunny’s hand and holding my hand up to the others. “What about a plan, guys? I literally just said there’s a couple dozen guys out there.” I warned. But neither of these women seemed to be all too worried.

“ _ Relax. _ You live longer.” Nadine said to me with a cheeky smirk. Sunny just grinned and squeezed her shoulders happily as she followed her out of the building. I shook my head in confusion as Chloe sighed.

“I am  _ so  _ proud.” She said as I rose to my feet.

“How’s you manage to remove the giant stick from her ass?” I asked sarcastically, tucking my binoculars away.

“It’s still there. Just slightly smaller.” Chloe responded, patting my chest and joining the girls. I gave a big sigh and pulled out my Raffica, cocking it to make sure it wasn’t jammed. These girls were gonna get me killed one day…

  
  


Bullets flew overhead as I ducked dove into the cool waters to evade being hit. A few that made it into the pond missed me by a few hairs. I swam as deep and as far as I could— as quickly as I could. When the fire ceased, I swam back up to breathe. The sight I saw when I broke the surface was better than any action movie I’d ever seen. I witnessed Chloe sneaking up on a heavily armored man to rip his helmet off his head. Sunny snatched his gun and kicked him in the gut, then Nadine finished him with an impressive and powerful kick to his jaw. He didn’t get up after that. “Thanks for that.” I sighed as I swam over to them. Sunny reached in and helped pull me up before giving me a brief once over.

“Are you okay?” She asked me.

“I’m fine, sweetheart—”

“That’s very sweet and all, but I  _ do  _ think we need to keep moving. And get out of this spot. I’m sure the gunfire caught some attention.” Chloe said, pulling on our shirts to lead us away. 

  
  
  


**_Sunny’s POV_ **

Fists collided with jaws and boots to guts and I’ll tell you what, I’d never felt more at home. The feeling of this AR getting hot in my hands, seeing bodies and bullet shells fall with each shot. This was indeed the gun fight I wanted. Amongst the chaos, I heard the blades of the chopper begin to rotate and cut through the air. When I brought my eyes to the platform, I could see the helicopter rising into the sky.

“Shit. Chopper’s airborne.” Nadine grunted.

“There goes our Tusk.” Sam grumbled.

“Not yet. We gotta take it down. Simple. I’m sure at least one of these lonely bastards has a rocket launcher…” I said, looking around for the closest sucker. Luckily, there was one right above us. I smirked, making my way over to the nearby rusty red stairs.

“ _ Sunny! _ ” Sam whispered to me harshly as I crept up carefully, clearly not listening to him. I peeked behind the corner and counted two men. I could see the gang coming over to look up at me and I leaned over the railing.

“There’s two guys up here. One of em is armored— I’m gonna send him your way, okay?” I whispered to them. Chloe nodded.

“Okay—”

“ _ No! You’re gonna get seen up there! _ ” Sam whispered to me in frustration, cutting her off. 

“Relax, Drake—” Nadine added.

“ _ There’s no time to relax, Nadine! See this is exactly why we should’ve had a plan! _ ” He snapped. I rolled my eyes. Where was this sudden overprotective nature coming from?

“Babe.” I said plainly.

“Yes?!” He hissed.

“Shut it.” And with that, leaned my back against the metal plated wall again. 

I kept as close to the wall as possible. Taking each step carefully, I eased up to the armored man; mentally taking pointers from Chloe, I snuck up on him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling his helmet off before kicking him off the edge of the platform. I smirked as he yelped going down. But that was my mistake. Sam might’ve been… ‘ _ I don’t wanna say it… _ ’ He was right. Suddenly, a barrage of massive bullets seemed to fire near my feet, narrowly missing me. I flinched and turned around to see the helicopter in the sky, firing at me.

“Oh, Jesus be a biscuit!” I snapped, dodging as best as I could. The man with the rocket launcher spotted me and began to aim at me. Shots had already been fired, cover had already been blown; doing this quietly was out of the question now. I grabbed my gun from its holster and made  _ damn _ sure I pulled the trigger first. He fell onto his back and didn’t get up. “Alright, Sun… Keep movin’. Don’t stop.” I muttered to myself, rushing towards his body to relieve him of his RPG. I threw the strap over my shoulder and jumped off the edge to join the rest of the group, the helicopter releasing another burst of bullets after me.

“I just need more ammo!” I exclaimed, and both Chloe and Nadine went to scavenge the tool boxes placed all over the area. Sam seemed lost. He just stood by me, looking for me to tell him what to do. “Keep me covered?” I asked. He just smiled at me softly and nodded, cocking his gun.

“Always.” He replied, narrowing his bushy brows. A corner of my lips turned up for the moment and we began to take out as many men on the ground as we could. Soon, the girls found us, toting about four warheads each. Quickly, I took them and hung them onto my pants before rushing back to the platform above, loading my first shot as I climbed the stairs. I ran to an opening to get the clearest shot and took my aim. But as soon as the chopper saw me, it began to fire at me again. Quickly, I hid behind the metal plated wall.

“Oh,  _ c’mon!! _ ” I growled in frustration. That’s when I heard Sam yelling.

“Hey!! Down here, you mullety fuck!!” I heard him shout. Shots were still firing off but I didn’t hear them coming my way anymore. When I peeped around the corner, Sam was waving his arms about trying to get Orca’s attention. And when he did, he started getting shot at. He was using himself as a distraction. “ _ Sunny, baby— Any time, now! _ ” He yelled as he ran between the train cars, avoiding the fat bullets.

“Hold on….” I mumbled, adjusting my aim to perfection. All the while he was still being shot at.

“ _ Sunny!! _ ” He shouted. 

“Hold  _ on! _ ” I sang aloud. I kept my aim, following it around a bit to make sure I really had it. Eventually, it had to run out of bullets and be reloaded.  _ That’s  _ when I would take my shot.

“ _ SUNNY NOW!!! _ ” I heard him yell again. Suddenly, the helicopter hovered in the air, ceasing fire.

“Gotcha….” I murmured before pulling the trigger. The warhead shot off in its direction and exploded as it collided with the painted metal on it’s side. Quickly, I took cover again and began to reload.

“Right on, sweetheart— do it again!!” Sam cheered from a distance. I watched as the helicopter wavered in the air a moment before attempting to fly off. I smirked and stepped out once more with the chopper in my sights. I pulled the trigger again and watched it explode against the helicopter. Yet somehow it didn’t fall. “Damn, how the hell is that thing still flyin’?!” I shook my head in frustration.

“The armor’s holdin’!” I shouted back. I hadn’t brought it down totally but I definitely hit it. Yet it  _ still _ tried to fly away. 

“There’s gotta be a plan B here!” Sam said. Before I could even think of something to do, I saw Chloe throw her grappling hook to the stepping bars and pulled herself up as the aircraft flew higher.

“Chloe! What are you  _ doin’?! _ ” I exclaimed. She was absolutely plum crazy!

“Getting the tusk!” She shouted back.

“Oh, Christ…” I grumbled as I watched the chopper attempt to fly away. Suddenly, Nadine jumped on the ropes tail, climbing in after her. She was just as crazy. I watched as they made it to the door and Chloe was suddenly pulled in. I could hear Sam’s footsteps across the tin as he climbed the platform to watch what would happen.

“Jesus, she’s nuts!” He said, neither of our gazes tearing from the chopper. But a harrowing feeling sat in my chest.

“Somethin’ ain’t right…” I mumbled. Suddenly, a single gunshot went off and the windshield broke into small shards. I flinched and felt my brows knit together in worry as I watched the aircraft hover out of control. I grabbed Sam’s arm nervously as it began to spin out. Before a scream could even leave my lips, the plane came crashing to the dirt. And yet somehow…….

“CHLOE!!” I exclaimed, jumping off the platform and running towards the wreckage. When the dust settled, I could see Chloe slowly rising to her feet with a cough, trying to get air back into her lungs and brushing off the dirt from her clothes. Looking around frantically, Nadine was thrown a couple feet but she was also unharmed. I caught my breath and tears fell from my eyes in relief. I wiped them away quickly as I ran towards them both.

“Sunflo— oh!” I interrupted her with a tight hug. She sighed and patted my back with a light chuckle. “I’m okay. I’m fine—”

“You are just as crazy as a bedbug.” I huffed as I pulled away, giving her a once over. I looked over my shoulder as Nadine began to walk over as well. I hugged her too. “You…. I didn’t expect that from you.”

“I’m full of surprises.” She chuckled pleasantly before directing her gaze to the crashed helicopter as we heard a thump. As we all turned our heads, the final thump pushed the windshield from his slot. And out crawled the beaten Shoreline mercenary, cradling our treasure in his bloodied clutches.


	21. Chapter 21

**_Sunny’s POV_ **

Orca kicked his way out of the helicopter, clutching the Tusk in his gloved hands. The second he noticed us, he looked around for something to defend himself with. He spotted his gun a few feet away from him and immediately began to launch himself into the dirt for it. Nadine snarled and pulled her gun from her hip with the quickness. “Don’t.” She said simply, pointing the gun at him, her nostrils flaring. He peered up at her from his broken visors. With a disheveled grunt, he sat himself up against the helicopter. 

“Ma’am.” He sighed, clutching the Tusk close to him as he breathed raggedly. I watched as Nadine kicked his gun away from him, still keeping her aim at him. “You’re looking well—”

“What the  _ hell _ have you done with my company?” She snarled.

“Made it profitable, for starters.” He answered smugly.

“I think that was a rhetorical question, love.” Chloe commented, also joining at her side.

“I should’ve shot you back on that godforsaken island.” Nadine growled, tightening her grip on the gun.

“I wish you had. Would’ve spared us the sight of watching you turn tail and run—”

“You’re still breathin’, right?” I said, my hand resting on the handle of my gun.

“Not for long.” Nadine mumbled before all three of us pulled our guns on him, taking a step forward with intent to kill. But we were stopped.

“ _ Alright, alright! _ Just…. hash your shit out on your own time, okay?” Sam called from behind us before pushing between us to reach a hand out. “The tusk, please?”

“You three? Working together?” Orca chuckled weakly. “Either you’ve got a piss-poor memory or you’re even more desperate than I thought—”

“Jeez, I’m just gettin’ it from all sides today, huh?” Sam grumbled to me before walking away. I gave a short chuckle before adjusting my aim.

“I’m not the one reduced to hustling weapons to ragtag insurgents!” Nadine argued.

“That was always your problem… Thinking too small.” Orca replied with a bloody grin. “You really think I would’ve traded this in for munitions?” The way he said that left a bad feeling in my chest.

“What do you me—” I began to ask.

“ _ I don’t give a shit!  _ Hand over the tusk!” Nadine snapped.

“Hell’s bells…. You’re gonna miss the fireworks, man.” He said eerily, pointing to the train that had just begun to leave the rail yard. My heart skipped as my brows knitted together. I looked to Chloe and I could tell she was thinking the same thing I was. 

“I won’t ask twice.” I heard Nadine say.

“Fine.” Orca sighed. “Catch.” He suddenly tossed the tusk towards her and quickly began to reach behind his back for his firearm.

“GUN!” I heard Sam shout. I snapped my gaze back to the man before me just in time to watch him pull his weapon on her. But Sam quickly dove to push Nadine out of the way when he pulled the trigger. They landed to the ground as she put four— shit, maybe six— bullets in Orca’s chest. And he fell limp.

“Nice shot.” Sam murmured.

“Thanks.” Nadine sighed.

“Pattern’s just a little wide but—”

“ _ Get off of me. _ ” Nadine ordered and Sam backed away from her.

“Yeah, sure.” He grumbled, getting up as I walked over to Orca’s now dead body to retrieve the tusk. I ogled it a moment before handing it to Chloe, which she handed to Nadine— completely bypassing Sam. I could see something was troubling Chloe. Her blue eyes narrowed in thought as she paced. I looked over my shoulder as Sam and Nadine began to squabble over pay cuts. In the corner of my eye I spotted a piece of folded up paper. Just out of curiosity, I picked it up and unfolded it. It was a detailed blueprint of….. ‘ _ No… That can’t be right…. _ ’ I thought, straining my eyes for a better look. My brain began to put two and two together and a panic began to set in.

“Fuck…” I gasped, aloud. Chloe turned to face me as my face fell.

“What’s up, China?” She asked, approaching me. I was so shaken, I could barely speak. I simply handed her the blueprints and let her read them over. Her eyes widened and her prominent brows narrowed as the words of a harsh reality fell from her lips. “It’s a bomb…” she said. I suddenly heard the two idiots behind me stop their argument for a moment.

“What?” Nadine asked, wanting to be sure she heard correctly. I turned my head and locked eyes with Sam, sadly shaking my head as I stressfully dug my fingers into my now messy curls. He made his way over to us.

“Asav… The bastard traded the Tusk for a bomb.” Chloe told them, meeting them halfway, placing the blueprints in Sam’s hands. He opened them up and his relatively hard expression softened up a bit.

“Fireworks….” Nadine recalled Orca saying before his timely death. When I glanced up at Sam, he seemed as shaken as I was. But I could see the gears in his head moving him to the wrong thing.

“Th-Th—This is big…” he stuttered.

“Yeah— no shit.” I muttered, throwing my arms over my head, folding them on top of my head and pacing. Chloe looked horrified.

“Those tracks run  _ right _ through the city…. Through the market…” she said softly.

“So then we find the nearest town. Notify the authorities—” Nadine suggested. If we had more time and lived in a perfect world, that would’ve been the smart thing to do. But that just wasn’t true on either fronts.

“It’ll be too late.” I said. “With that bomb type… if it goes off, it’ll kill  _ thousands _ …”

“And...that is a terrible shame but—” Sam said solemnly, but I knew where he was going with his words. I felt an anger boiling inside me.

“Don’t say it—” I begged quietly for a moment.

“But we  _ did  _ get what we came for…” Sam continued. I scoffed and walked off. “Sunny—”

“You  _ can’t  _ be serious!” I snapped. “Those are innocent people out there!”

“Yeah, I know but Sun—” He tried to reason with me but his reasons weren’t good enough for me.

“You didn’t see when this plane dropped bombs over the city. You did see that mushroom cloud and the fire or hear the screams—”

“Sunny, this isn’t our fight!” He yelled above me.

“WELL IT SHOULD BE!” I screamed. I stared at him a moment in disbelief, my bruised lips trembling.

“Ladies,  _ please _ talk some sense into her! Chloe?” He looked at Chloe but all she could do was shrug and pace herself. “Nadine…” She looked between the two of us, knowing exactly what we were thinking. Before she could open her mouth, Chloe had already made up her mind. And once she did that, there was no going back. I knew that. She picked up an assault rifle from the ground and cocked it back to check how much ammunition was left before slinging it over her shoulder.

“Wait— you’re not seriously thinking about going after that train, are you?” She asked her. When she didn’t answer, she huffed. “Okay… fine. Do you have a plan?”

“Evidently, that doesn’t seem to be much of a requirement in this organization.” Sam mumbled, looking down at me. Quite frankly, I was disappointed. But what could I expect from someone who’s only ever had to look out for himself.

“Seriously?! You’re just going to  _ let _ her do this alone?!” Nadine exclaimed at him.

“I… I don’t know!” He shouted defensively.

“She won’t be alone.” I commented, picking up a gun myself and patting bodies down for ammo. I had made up my mind from the very beginning; wishing I could do something. Now was my chance. “I’m goin’ with you.” I told Chloe.

“ _ LIKE HELL YOU ARE! _ ” Sam roared, grabbing my arm. 

“ _ WELL I AIN'T STAYIN’ HERE! _ ” I snapped, snatching myself from his grasp. “NOT WHEN I CAN ACTUALLY  _ DO _ SOMETHING TO HELP THESE PEOPLE, SAM! SOMEONE OTHER THAN MYSELF! But I guess I wouldn’t expect you to understand that.” He stared at me in surprise. Maybe even a bit hurt. But nonetheless, I turned to my friend again, speaking very clearly. “I’m goin’ with you, Chloe. Just tell me what to do.” I said, joining her side.

“No.” Nadine opposed. “No— you said so yourself. This is  _ not _ our fight! Even  _ if _ you two blockheads catch that train, what next then? Hmm? Disarm the bomb?!—”

“I’m equipped with the knowledge to do so. I’ve sold  _ and  _ put together bombs like these in the past. I can do it again—” I said rather confidently, my face still as stone.

“That’s not the point, Sunny— this is an impossible job.” Sam objected.

“Maybe so but we’ve got to try, Sam.” Chloe said.

“Frazer—” Nadine began but she was once more interrupted.

“You’re right. This isn’t our fight. It’s my fight.” Chloe insisted. Nadine looked at her in surprise. “That bomb detonates, it’ll spark a civil war. I can’t walk away. I’m tired of walking away…” The look Nadine gave her was absolutely heartbreaking. Her eyes practically glasses over at the thought of losing her.

“You’ll die…” she said weakly.

“I can live with that.” Chloe responded, solemnly yet proud of the decision she’d made. It was the same feeling I had I’m sure. If we died saving thousands of innocents, what were two deaths to anyone?

“Hey—” Chloe said, clearing her throat and trying to end the conversation on a lighter note. There was no time to waste. “Save my share of the Tusk, ‘kay?” She smiled before kissing her cheek and starting for the Jeep. I took a deep breath and turned on my heel to follow when I heard Sam’s withered voice.

“Sunny…” I heard him say. I looked up at him as he approached me. I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the vulnerable look in his eyes; like he might lose me, too. “This is crazy…” he chuckled faintly.

“Yeah. Yeah, it is.” I replied with a relaxed and awkward smile. I’d made peace with dying a long time ago. If it was time for me to go, it was just my time.

“I… I don’t know what you want me to say here…” he said nervously. I placed a hand on his cheek and looked into his bright puppy dog eyes.

“Don’t say anything. Don’t try and stop me either. I  _ need _ to do this.” I said. We stared at each other for a second before he engulfed my small body in his arms, hugging me tightly before I kissed him deeply. I could feel a small tear fall down his cheek and I wiped it away quickly, not reacting as so to keep his dignity or whatever.

“I love you.” He murmured against my lips as his forehead rested against mine. My heart finally felt full. I smiled before pulling away and hopping into the backseat of the Jeep with Chloe.

I took a deep breath without looking back and placed a hand on Chloe’s shoulder. “Let’s get ‘er dun, Chloe.” I whispered to her.

“Let’s.” She said with a smile. “Sunflower…. Thank you for this. If you change your mind, I completely understa—”

“I’m not goin’ nowhere.” I said to her. Suddenly, in the corner of my eye, I could see Sam approaching the Jeep. Without a word, he climbed into the passenger seat. The two of us just looked at him in surprise.

“What?” He said nonchalantly. “There’s no way you’re leaving me back there with  _ her _ .” He said, nodding towards Nadine, who was left pacing herself. We both smiled widely and I threw my arms around his neck, kissing his cheek.

“Plus somebody's gotta look out for you.” He said to me. I’d fallen for him even more now. Then suddenly, Nadine appeared by the side of the car without us even noticing, scaring the bejeezus out of Sam.

“Move.” She said.

“No.” He replied plainly. She pulled her hand gun out and pointed it at him.

“I said, move.” She reiterated.

“Jesus, okay…” he frowned, hopping in the backseat with me as she took his place. Chloe smiled at her broadly and she simply replied with a shrug. 

“What?” Nadine asked. But there was no reason to question her. So with that, Chloe started up the engine and began our path on the rough terrain to follow the train.


End file.
